‘Ah!’ continued Maisie, as she gulped it down and paused to think, ‘I feel just like that mythological undraped person, who was always drinking and never satisfied.’
‘There must have been lots of them, both the thirsty and the undraped,’ I said, ‘your description is rather vague.’
‘Yes, perhaps it is,’ she replied, ‘but anyhow I wish we adhered to those ancient customs now, except perhaps that one about not being satisfied.’
‘I think——,’ I began, when it struck me that my thoughts had better be suppressed, and I relapsed into silence.
By this time we had pretty nearly reached the Rollers, so we waited for the other punts to come up, that containing Accrington, de Beresford and Ophelia being easily last.
‘Hullo Ophelia!’ cried Freddy as they came up, ‘I didn’t think it of you, waiting there under the bushes for such a time with de B. I suppose you felt rather out of it as gooseberry,’ he continued addressing Accrington.
‘My dear Frederick,’ called out Lady Blitherington from a punt propelled by the perspiring Pilot, ‘pray do not suggest such awful things. I am surprised at you.’
‘Well, Aunt, if Ophelia will be such a giddy old thing, what can you expect?’ Freddy answered, as amid general confusion we disembarked at the Rollers.
The Bugg had got as far as ‘You’re that pernicious to annoy one—’ when her boat hit the landing stage with a heavy thump, and her further remarks were lost. I noticed that in the general re-sorting which took place, the Pilot contrived that Accrington should have the honour of punting Lady Blitherington while he himself embarked with Miss MacNeill, who is sometimes described as ‘amusing’ and sometimes ‘forward,’ it all depends on the age and sex of the speaker. The Pilot, who is universally known as an old woman, says that a mean between the two would probably suit the case.