"You shan't, Hermia," shouted Reggie Armistead, "until either Salignac or I have tried it out."
"You will oblige me, Reggie," replied Hermia calmly, "by minding your own business."
"O Hermia, after falling this morning! How can you dare?" cried Miss
Van Vorst, with a genteel shudder.
"Si Mademoiselle me permettrait—" began Salignac.
But she waved her hand in negation and indicated the wide lawn in front of the ruined buildings which sloped gently to the water's edge.
"Wheel it there, Salignac," in French, "and, Reggie, please go at once and help."
Armistead's boyish face turned toward her in admiration and in protest, but he followed Salignac without a word.
"It's folly, Hermia," added Hilda. "Something must be wrong with the thing. You remember just the other day—"
"I'm going, Hilda," imperturbably. "You can follow me in the launch."
Of Hermia's companions, Olga Tcherny alone said nothing. She had no humor to waste her breath. And Markham stood beside the group, his arms folded, his head bowed, listening. But when Hermia went into the cottage for her things he followed her.