Bess pointed to a little rill of water that flowed and trickled down the hillside, and which Gerald had not yet observed.
“Thank you!”
“Towels are apparently unknown in this wilderness,” said Brooke, after Bess had gone back to the house.
“And soap, too, I expect.”
“A little extra rubbing will make up for the last, and our handkerchiefs may do as a substitute for the former. This seems a primitive sort of place.”
Gerald admired the ease with which Mr. Brooke, who had undoubtedly been brought up in the lap of luxury, adapted himself to the accommodations of the wilderness. The young man, after refreshing himself with an ablution, threw himself on the grass, and said contentedly: “It seems good to rest after our long ride.”
“Yes, Mr. Brooke, that is the way I feel.”
“To tell you the truth, Gerald, I was afraid we might have to camp out in the woods, and go to bed without our supper.”
“Our hotel isn’t exactly first class.”
“No, but if we get a plain supper and a comfortable night’s rest it ought to satisfy us. If I cared to stop at first-class hotels I would have remained in the larger cities. But I like better, for a time at least, the freedom of the woods, even if it carries with it some personal sacrifices and privations.”