"He didn't explain his intentions; and I made no promises. He'll get his dividends, or he can sell his stock at a premium, and that ought to satisfy him."
"If you submitted the whole case to a business man, he'd probably tell you that you were going to make a hash of things."
"That's your own idea?"
Carroll grinned.
"Oh, I'll reserve my opinion. It's possible you may be right. Time will show."
They rejoined the others, and when the white mists crept lower down from the heights above and the chill of the dew was in the air, Vane launched the canoe.
"It's getting late and there's a long run in front of us to-morrow," he informed his passengers. "The sloop will lie as still as if moored in a pond; and you'll have her all to yourselves. Carroll and I are going to camp ashore."
He paddled them off to the boat. Coming back with some blankets, he cut a few armfuls of spruce twigs in a ravine and spread them out beside the fire. Then sitting down just clear of the scented smoke he lighted his pipe and asked an abrupt question.
"What do you think of Kitty Blake?"
"She's attractive, in person and manners."