My weakness may have
deserved the contempt, but that made no difference in my opinion of the
woman who had inflicted it upon me. I was glad, when we bade good-night
and farewell to the little party, that the Person was not present.
But early the next morning, just as we were hoisting sail on our boat,
this lady appeared, walking rapidly down to our beach. She was dressed
in a light morning costume, with some sort of a gauzy fabric thrown over
her head, and if I had not hated her so thoroughly I should have
considered her a very picturesque and attractive figure.
"I am glad I am in time," she called out. "I don't want you to go away
with too bad an opinion of me, and I came to say that what you have
confided to me is just as safe with me as it would be with anybody else.
Do you think you can believe that if you try?"
It was impossible for me to make any answer to this woman, but I took
off my hat and bowed. The sail filled, and we glided away.
Walkirk was not in good spirits. It was plain enough that he liked the
Tangent Island and wanted to stay; and he had good reason, for he had
found pleasant company, and this could not always be said to be the case
when sailing in a small boat or camping out with me. My intention was to
sail to a town on the mainland, some thirty miles distant, there leave
our boat, and take a train for Arden.
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