"I'm glad to hear it," said Major Kent. "Perhaps now you'll stop your foolish games."
"Could she have gone out to meet him anywhere?" said Meldon to Callaghan.
"She could not. It wouldn't be possible for her to do the like unbeknown to me, for I had my eye on her."
"All day?"
"After what your reverence was saying to me I'd have been afraid to let her out of my sight."
"Very well, Callaghan, you can go home. I shall have to think the matter over. I don't deny that I'm disappointed. I thought when I saw you standing there on the shore that you'd have had some definite news for me."
"I was up at the Major's house searching for you," said Callaghan, "and when you weren't within I took a look round and I seen the yacht coming in on the tide, so I thought it would save me a journey to-morrow if I waited for you."
"Quite right," said Meldon. "It's not your fault nothing has happened, and I don't blame you in the least. Good-night."
Callaghan shambled off along the beach. The Major and Meldon, who carried the punt's oars, struck across the fields towards Portsmouth Lodge.
"I can't understand it at all," said Meldon. "After what I said to Simpkins I simply can't understand his neglecting his opportunities like this. You'd think from the way he's behaving that he doesn't want to be married at all."