“Dick, how—­how disgraceful of you!  Dick, you mustn’t!  Someone—­someone will see us!”

“Let them!” he said, grimly reckless.  “You brought it on yourself.  How dare you tell me I’m like a high priest?  How dare you, Juliet?”

“I daren’t,” she assured him, her hand against his mouth, restraining him.  “I never will again.  You’re much more like the great god Pan.  There, now do be good!  Please be good!  I am sure someone is watching us.  I can feel it in my bones.  You’re flinging my reputation to the little fishes.  Please, Dick—­darling,—­please!”

He held the appealing hand and kissed it very tenderly.  “I can’t resist that,” he said.  “So now we’re quits, are we?  And no one any the worse.  Juliet, you’ll have to marry me soon.”

She drew away from his arms, still panting a little.  Her face was burning.  “Now we’ll go back,” she said.  “You’re very unmanageable to-day.  I shall not come out with you again for a long time.”

“Yes—­yes, you will!” he urged.  “I shouldn’t be so unmanageable if I weren’t so—­starved.”

She laughed rather shakily.  “You’re absurd and extravagant.  Please row back now, Dick!  Mr. and Mrs. Fielding will be wondering where we are.”

“Let ’em wonder!” said Dick.

Nevertheless, moved by something in her voice or face, he turned the boat and began to row back to the little landing-stage.  Juliet rescued the cigarettes from the floor, and presently placed one between his lips and lighted it for him.  But her eyes did not meet his during the process, and her hand was not wholly steady.  She leaned back in the stern and smoked her own cigarette afterwards in almost unbroken silence.

“Don’t you want a water-lily?” Dick said to her once as they drew near a patch.

She shook her head.  “No, don’t disturb them!  They’re happier where they are.”

“Impossible!” he protested.  “When they might be with you!”

She raised her eyes to his then, and looked at him very steadily.  “No, that doesn’t follow, Dick,” she said.

“I think it does,” he said.  “Never mind if you don’t agree!  Tell me when you are coming to sing at one of my Saturday night concerts at High Shale!”

“Oh, I don’t know, Dick.”  She looked momentarily embarrassed.  “You know we are going away very soon, don’t you?”

“Where to?” he said.

“I don’t know.  Either Wales or the North.  Mrs. Fielding needs a change, and I—­”

“You’re coming back?” he said.

“I suppose so—­some time.  Why?” She looked at him questioningly.

He leaned forward, his black eyes unswervingly upon her.  “Because—­if you don’t—­I shall come after you,” he said, with iron determination.

She laughed a little.  “Pray don’t look so grim!  I probably shall come back all in good time.  I will let you know if I don’t, anyway.”

“You promise?” he said.

“Of course I promise.”  She flicked her cigarette-ash into the water.  “I won’t disappear without letting you know first.”