"If you're so bent on trespassing," he said, and held out his hand.
They scrambled on board together and looked round. The ship was quite deserted and rocking gently on the smooth water. Mrs. Heriot clapped her hands like a delighted child. She was quite a good actress when she was in the mood and given the right environment.
"Isn't this lovely? It reminds me of the days when we used to hide in ruined castles when we were children."
She spoke as if ruined castles were to be met with in every street of every suburban town.
"There's not much of a ruined castle about this," said Chris. He was not at all amused. He thought the whole adventure silly, which merely showed that he was not with the right woman and not interested in the woman he was with.
The moon was high in the sky, and the twinkling lights of the town looked a long way off, though very faintly in the distance they could hear the sound of the band playing on the pier.
Chris listened apathetically, then suddenly he spoke.
"It must be late. They're playing 'God Save the King.'"
He looked at his watch—it was half-past ten.
"It's time we went back," he said. He wondered uncomfortably what Feathers would say if he could see him now.