Alene found it a very spacious and pleasant seat; the rolling of the boat which had alarmed her when standing gave her only a delightful sensation. She put her hand over the side of the skiff and let the water glide through her fingers while she watched with interest the movements of the boy.
"You didn't answer my question," he remarked at last.
"What question?"
"About Hugh objecting."
"Why should he object? Here's Laura with our bundles!" She moved aside to let her friend step into the boat.
The packages were put in a safe place, Mark grasped the oars, Laura, who felt perfectly at home on the water, took a third oar and they started on their homeward way.
"How glad I am to leave the bleak coast of China!" cried Laura.
"You mean Glass-gow, don't you?" spoke up the boy, pointing over his shoulder to where the friendly clerk stood calling, 'Bon voyage!' from the deck of the glass-boat.
The girls laughed.
"I guess we will have to forgive him?"