Rob waited for Mary to speak, but she said nothing.
'I had better try it,' he said.
With difficulty the punt was brought near a landing-stage, and Rob jumped out.
'Good-bye,' he said to Mary.
'Good-night,' she replied. Her mouth was quivering, but how could he know?
'Wait a moment,' Dick exclaimed. 'We might see him off, Mary?' Mary hesitated.
'The others might wonder what had become of us,' she said.
'Oh, we need not attempt to look for them in this maze,' her brother answered. 'We shall only meet them again at the Tawny Owl.'
The punt was left in charge of a boatman, and the three set off silently for the station, Mary walking between the two men. They might have been soldiers guarding a deserter.
What were Mary's feelings? She did not fully realise as yet that Rob thought she was engaged to Dowton. She fancied that he was sulky because a circumstance of which he knew nothing made her wish to treat Sir Clement with more than usual consideration; and now she thought that Rob, having brought it on himself, deserved to remain miserable until he saw that it was entirely his own fault. But she only wanted to be cruel to him now to forgive him for it afterwards.