"I hate to go and leave you alone," he replied.
"You are with me enough. While you are gone I shall do a little fancy work and read, and perhaps lie down for a nap."
Secretly Mrs. Vernon was much worried over the outcome of her letter to Mr. Farley concerning Frederic's communication, but she did not let on to her young secretary.
"It will do no good," she thought. "There is already enough trouble as it is."
There was a brisk wind blowing when Robert made his way to the dock where he usually hired his boat, but otherwise the day promised to be a perfect one.
Our hero generally obtained his craft from an old tar named Jack Salter, but on reaching the landing place he was disappointed to find Salter nowhere in sight.
"He must have gone out to fish," he said to himself. "I wonder if I dare take a boat without asking him? I suppose it will be all right."
He was looking the boats over when suddenly several big boys came rushing out of a building nearby and surrounded him. The leader of the crowd was Sammy Gump, the bully of the village.
"Hi, there!" bawled Sammy. "What are you doing among Jack Salter's boats?"
"I was going to hire one," answered Robert quietly, although he did not like the looks of the crowd that surrounded him.