From the moment of recognizing him until the moment when the side of the boat grazed the ledge was a very short time indeed.
"We thought we'd find you somewhere near here; at least, we hoped so," said Mr. Knight, looking from one girl to the other as if to decide which was the real culprit. "But how in the world did you get here?"
"Walked," replied Martine, laconically; "hadn't time to swim."
"But if you walked why didn't I see you when I looked an hour or two ago? I remember standing above this particular place and calling. Perhaps you weren't here then."
Martine said nothing. If it should be necessary to confess she could attend to this later. At present she had enough to think about.
"Is Mrs. Redmond worried?" asked Priscilla, anxiously.
"Yes and no," replied Mr. Knight, "though she'll be glad enough to see you."
"Must we go in the boat?" Priscilla spoke as if she dreaded the experiment, and she added, "It looks so very wobbly."
"Oh, that boat, she's as steady as a setting hen," exclaimed Mr. Knight's companion. "Just you look out, though, and don't wet your feet."
"I'll go first, Priscilla, and if I survive, why, then you can follow."