They pulled ashore, and Drayton and Kitty greeted them.
"I've been looking out for you since noon," Drayton told them. "What about the spruce?"
There was eagerness in his voice, and Vane's face clouded.
"We couldn't find a trace of it."
Drayton's disappointment was obvious, though he tried to hide it.
"Well," he said resignedly, "I've no doubt you did all you could."
"Of course!" Kitty broke in. "We're quite sure of that!"
Vane thanked her with a glance. He felt sorry for her and Drayton. They were strongly attached to each other, and he had reasons for believing that even with the advanced salary the man expected to get they would find it needful to study strict economy. It was easy to understand that a small share in a prosperous enterprise would have made things easier for them.
"I'm going to make another attempt. I expect some of our difficulties will vanish after I've had a talk with Hartley."
"That's impossible," Kitty explained softly. "Hartley died a week ago."