And then she began to tell him some of the stories she composed about him for Deedy Fender’s benefit. When she had done she added:
“Of course, I never imagined anything like you.”
“Are you disappointed?”
“Oh! no.”
They came to a great wood growing down to the water’s edge. Serge ran the boat into the bank and moored her. He filled his pipe and began to smoke, then lay back with his head on the little seat in the bows. Annette sat with her hands in her lap, and they basked in the hot sun and felt that it was very good. The birds were very merry in the trees. In the trees the wind whispered songs gathered from the sea only twenty miles away. Over all blazed the sun. Flies danced above the water. All was harmony and peace.
Round the bend of the river came the other boat. Bennett Lawrie and Basil Haslam were rowing. Mary was steering, and on each side of her were Minna and Herbert Fry.
Fry called out:
“You’ve led us a nice dance. It is an hour past lunch time.”
Serge grinned and shouted pleasantly:
“All the better for eating, my dear.”