“Oh,” said Jack, “I think I’ll take the old boat out and go for a row to get myself warm. I haven’t rowed for ages!”
“I’ll come with you, Jack,” said Nora.
But Jack didn't want anyone with him! “No, Nora,” he said, “you go out and look for cones. I shall be gone a good while. Peggy, could you let me have some food to take with me?”
“Food!” said Peggy in amazement. “However long are you going for, Jack?”
“Oh, just a few hours,” said Jack. “Some exercise will do me good. I’ll take my fishing-line, too.”
“Well, put on your overcoat, then,” said Peggy; “you’ll be cold out on the windy lake.”
She put some rolls and a hard-boiled egg into a basket, together with a bottle of milk. Jack said goodbye and set off down the hillside. Nora came with him, half sulky at not being allowed to go in the boat.
“You might let me come, Jack,” she said.
“You can’t come to-day, Nora,” said Jack. "You will know why when I come back!”
He pushed off and rowed out on to the lake, which was not very rough that day. He rowed hard, and Nora soon left the beach and went to seek for cones. She thought she would try and see where Jack was fishing, after a time, and went to the top of the hill - but, try as she would, she could see no sign of the boat. She thought that very strange.