For long she sat there motionless, dreaming youth’s fond dreams; dwelling, in loving tenderness, on every word and look she could recall of Leonard while the boat had drifted here and there, and the lap, lap, lap, of the ripples against the sides had kept up a soft musical accompaniment to the rhythm of love’s heart-beats.
CHAPTER XXI.
THE GREAT DEVIL-TREE.
In pursuance of their design of making signals from the summit of Roraima, the two friends made further explorations of the northern side. And this led them into an adventure, one day, that had well-nigh proved fatal to them both.
On mentioning their intention to Monella, he had at first objected; but, upon Leonard’s reminding him of the anxiety and distress Templemore’s mother and fiancée might be, too probably were, in, he had given a reluctant consent.
“Your friends, Dr. Lorien and his son, talked of coming back again,” he remarked. “Do you think they are likely to make the journey with Matava, and to be coming to seek for you?”
“Certainly they are coming into this neighbourhood, after orchids,” Leonard replied; “and, now you speak of it—though I had not thought about it lately—the news Matava will probably take back may cause such anxiety that they may hurry to get here sooner than they would otherwise have been likely to, in order to make inquiry about us on the spot.”
“Matava might lead them to the cavern, if they came to Daranato,” said Monella thoughtfully.
“Yes; of course that is possible.”