"How long can you stand this?" said he, pausing beside her.
"What?" said Elizabeth looking up.
"How long can you do without resting?"
"I am resting. — I couldn't rest so well anywhere else."
"Couldn't you?"
"No! —" she said earnestly.
He turned away and went on walking. Elizabeth blessed him for it.
The moon shone, and the wind blew, and steadily the vessel sailed on; till higher grounds began to rise on either side of her, and hills stood back of hills, ambitious of each other's standing, and threw their deep shadows all along the margin of the river. As the sloop entered between these narrowing and lifting walls of the river channel, the draught of air became gentler, often hindered by some outstanding high point she had left behind; more slowly she made her way past hill and hill- embayed curves of the river, less stoutly her sails were filled, more gently her prow rippled over the smoother water. Sometimes she passed within the shadow of a lofty hill-side; and then slipped out again into the clear fair sparkling water where the moon shone.
"Are we near there?" said Elizabeth suddenly, turning her head to arrest her walking companion. He came to the back of the chair.
"Near Wut-a-qut-o?"