“Indeed, you have not,” returned Harriet quickly. “You have done a great deal for us. That you have failed in this one instance is no fault of your own. Circumstances have been too much for you, that is all. We shall never forget what you have done for us. We are the ones who have not measured up to the mark, but you will remember I told you we were going to play in the tournament and going to win. I say it again. We are going to WIN!”
“You will have to play a better game than you have done so far,” George blurted, then, realizing what he had said, made an humble apology for his apparent rudeness.
“You are right,” Harriet laughed merrily. “We shall have to play a much better game, and that is what we are going to do. But we are wasting time. Girls, get ready for practice. Captain, you sit on the boulder yonder from where you can watch us. Don’t be afraid to criticise. We need your severest criticism.”
The girls ran for their racquets, Sam got the tennis balls, George pulled himself together and stumbled over to the boulder, on which he took his seat, but instead of watching the girls, he sunk his head in his hands and relapsed into his former gloomy mood.
“Say,” said Sam, giving the captain a poke in the ribs with a thumb, “look at those girls. We aren’t going to be quitters, are we?”
George hesitated a moment, then raised his head, threw back his shoulders and slid from the rock to his feet.
“You’re right, Sam. For once in your life you are talking sense. Of course we’ll go on. I was so bitterly disappointed about Disbrow that I lost my courage. I’ve found it again. If we fail now, it won’t be because we didn’t try. Prepare for the first set. No fooling now. Harriet and Tommy will play together this time, opposing Jane and Hazel. We shall see what you can do in team work. This will be the regular set provided you can stand it to play that long without a rest. It is time we did some grilling.” George was himself again. Harriet smiled and nodded approvingly.
“Please do not hesitate to say what you think,” she urged. “We are not so sensitive that we cannot stand listening to the truth.”
“Play!”
Nearly every play for the first half of the set was a fault. George groaned within himself, but was careful not to show how hopeless he felt inwardly. He worked with them until the perspiration was trickling down his cheeks, until he was well-nigh exhausted from the nervous strain.