"Not if they are sensible, as you and I. Come, you can't be angry to-day. I'm too happy. You don't really care about ducks anyhow, do you? I want to talk. I'm in fairyland alone with the old sweetheart of my girlish dreams! And you're ten times better looking than you were then, Jim."
Stuart broke into a boyish laugh, and gave up to the charm of her chatter.
For hours they sat laughing and joking. The years rolled back, the fevered life of the great city faded, and they were boy and girl again.
As the sun was sinking in a sea of scarlet they were startled by the approach of the tender.
The guide took up the decoys, and made fast their boat to tow them back to the yacht.
His comment on the day's work was brief:
"Great sport!"
He winked at Stuart, grasped the tiller of the tender and signalled to the man at the engine to let her go.
The old man was unusually quiet in the crew's quarters that night. It was nine o'clock before he startled the cook with a sudden remark:
"Gee, but she's a beauty!"