“He is to go riding with Mrs. Lorraine,” said Sheila quite simply. “He does not want me.”
“Of course you told him you were coming to see—you were going to call at the Old Ship?”
“Yes. And I am sure he would not be surprised if I did not return for a long time.”
“Are you quite sure, Sheila?”
“Yes, I am quite sure.”
“Very well. Now I shall tell you what I am going to do with you. I shall first go and bribe some mercenary boatman to let us have one of those small boats committed to our own exclusive charge. I shall constitute you skipper and pilot of the craft, and hold you responsible for my safety. I shall smoke a pipe to prepare me for whatever may befall.”
“Oh, no,” said Sheila. “You must work very hard, and I will see whether you remember all that I taught you in the Lewis. And if we can have some long lines we might get some fish. Will they pay more than thirty shillings for their long lines in this country?”
“I don’t know,” said Ingram. “I believe most of the fishermen here live upon the shillings they get from the passers-by after a little conversation about the weather and their hard lot in life; so that one doesn’t talk to them more than one can help.”
“But why do they need the money? Are there no fish?”
“I don’t know that, either. I suppose there is some good fishing in the Winter, and sometimes in the Summer they get some big shoals of mackerel.”