"Sometimes," she replied.
"River or bay, Deb?" inquired Carroll, bluffly.
"The river; and let us beat up along the other shore. 'Tis prettier."
"All right. Mind the sail now."
Deborah obediently ducked her head, but Claude, not understanding the observation, and being turned from the canvas, sat still as the heavy boom swung over. Charles shouted, and Deborah seized his arm, pulling him down just in time. When they were under way again, de Mailly sat straight and looked curiously at the sail.
"Ma foi comme j'étais bête!" he observed, smiling at the girl, who returned his glance. The incident had broken the little stiffness of her manner, a fact which the Frenchman perceived with relief. "You saved my unfortunate head another blow, Mistress Travis. I thank you for it."
"I am glad that I saw you," she answered. "Charles and I have both been knocked over with it. One does not always see."
"Faith, I should think not! I had Deborah senseless for a quarter of an hour here once—"
"Nonsense, Charles. It was not five minutes."
"Humph! It seemed half a day to me. There, are we near enough the bank now?"