But, here, the boat being unduly drawn aside by the suck of some local current, Jennifer was constrained to apply his mind to navigation.  He dipped the long sweeps, and with a steady powerful pull straightened the course to midstream.  Then raising the glistening blades, off which the water dripped white and pattering, he leaned forward again, resting elbows and chest on the butt-end of the oars, and once more addressed himself to polite conversation.

“Not as I’ve been greatly troubled that way myself.  Had my chance of going to sea and welcome many’s the time when I was a youngster.  But always a one for the land, I was.  Never had any special fancy for salt water, though I do make my living of it now, as you may say, in a sense.”

During this biographical excursion Tom Verity’s attention wandered.  His eyes dwelt on Damaris.  She had altered her position turning half round as she scanned the strip of sandy warren with its row of sentinel Scotch firs bordering the river.  Seen thus, three-quarter face, Tom realized suddenly not only how really beautiful she was—­or rather could at moments be—­but how strangely she resembled Sir Charles her father.  There was likeness not of features alone; but, for all her youthful freshness, a reflection of his strength, his inscrutability.  Whereupon rather unworthy curiosity reawoke in Tom Verity, to satisfy which he was tempted to descend to methods not entirely loyal.

Damaris, sitting to windward, must be out of earshot assuredly, yet he lowered his voice as he said: 

“By the way, talking of going to sea, can you tell me anything about the young sailor whom you took across the ferry just before fetching Miss Verity and me?  I am pretty sure I have met him before and yet I can’t place him somehow.”

Jennifer shot a sharply enquiring glance at the speaker; for here, at first sight, appeared rare opportunity of that same coveted and scandalous fish-frying!  Yet he debated the wisdom of immediate indulgence in that merry pastime, inherent suspicion of class for class, suspicion too, of this young gentleman’s conspicuously easy, good-natured manner, preaching caution.  A show of friendliness supplies fine cover for the gaining of one’s own ends.—­Hadn’t he, Jennifer, practised the friendly manoeuvre freely enough himself on occasion?  And he did not in the least relish the chance of walking into a trap, instead of jovially baiting one.  So he dipped the oars again, and answered slowly as though the question taxed his memory sorely, his face vacant of expression as an empty plate.

“Brought him across before I started to fetch you and the young lady, sir, did I?  To be sure, there, let me see.  I’ve had several sea-going chaps of sorts back and forth this morning.  Come and go most days, they do, come and go without my taking any particular account—­the Lord forgive me, for it ain’t over civil—­unless strangers should hail me, or someone out of the common