Aleck had been sent off to hunt up Captain Starr and the houseboat, and in the meantime all of the party obtained rooms for the night and then went to supper.
"This puts me in mind of the time we took dinner at Ithaca," said Dick to Dora, on the way to the dining hall. "Do you remember?"
"Indeed I do," she answered, with a pretty blush. "But please do not steer me into the smoking room again," she added, mischievously.
"Don't you think we are going to have a good time, Dora?"
"If I hadn't thought that I shouldn't have come," answered the miss.
It was a happy gathering, and Hans Mueller kept the young folks convulsed by his odd speeches.
"And you ton't vos put no salt py mine coffee in dis dime, Tom," said
Hans, referring to a trick which had once been played on him.
"All right, Hansy," answered Tom. "And please don't you pour any coffee down my back," he added, for he had not forgotten how he had been paid back for that joke.
The supper lasted a long time, and after it was over all went to one of the rooms upstairs, where they spent a couple of hours very agreeably.
"We can be thankful that it is such pleasant weather," said Mrs. Stanhope. "An outing on a houseboat during a wet spell would not be so nice."