I had not been in the bushes three minutes before Mr. Ben Waterford suddenly changed his tactics. The boat seemed to be no longer unfit for the reception of a lady, and he shoved it down the bank into the water, as though he had suddenly been endowed with a new strength. Of course I expected him to do this; and before he could pick up the oars, I stepped out of my covert, and was prepared to leap into the boat with him; for, though the day was warm and pleasant, I had no fancy for swimming off to the Marian.
"Where are the flowers?" demanded he, with some wrath, which he could not wholly conceal, and apparently taken all aback by my sudden reappearance.
"I didn't find them," I replied, with a good-natured smile, for I was not a little pleased at the checkmate I had put upon my fellow-voyager.
"Did you look?"
"Not much."
"Why didn't you? We don't want to stay here all day," said he, unable to hide his chagrin.
"I am ready to go when you are."
"Why didn't you get the flowers?" growled he.
"To tell the whole truth, I was afraid you would forget that I was on shore, and go on board without me," I answered, laughing.
"You blockhead! What do you mean by that?"