Dick knew that this was untrue. He did not remember then that the good-natured lies live for ever like the others.
Evening came on before they returned to the river, and Sunbury, now blazing with fireworks, was shooting flaming arrows at the sky. The sweep of water at the village was one broad bridge of boats, lighted by torches and Chinese lanterns of every hue. Stars broke overhead, and fell in showers. It was only possible to creep ahead by pulling in the oars and holding on to the stream of craft of all kinds that moved along by inches. Rob, who was punting Dick and Mary, had to lay down his pole and adopt the same tactics, but boat and punt were driven apart, and soon tangled hopelessly in different knots.
'It is nearly eight o'clock,' Dick said, after he had given up looking for the rest of the party. 'You must not lose your train, Angus.'
'I thought you were to stay overnight, Mr. Angus,' Mary said.
Possibly she meant that had she known he had to return to London, she would have begun to treat him better earlier in the day, but Rob thought she only wanted to be polite for the last time.
'I have to be at the Wire,' he replied, 'before ten.'
Mary, who had not much patience with business, and fancied that it could always be deferred until next day if one wanted to defer it very much, said, 'Oh!' and then asked, 'Is there not a train that would suit from Sunbury?'
Rob, blinder now than ever, thought that she wanted to get rid of him.
'If I could catch the 8.15 here,' he said, 'I would reach Waterloo before half-past nine.'
'What do you think?' asked Dick. 'There is no time to lose.'