’Oh! it wasn’t difficult at all, I assure you, Miss Johns; I only got on between the gusts of the wind.  I swam from the Syndicate boat.  You know, of course, one of us must have gone when we heard you singing out for help, and I was only too happy, frightfully happy, I am sure—­and it was nothing at all to do.  If you were much here, and saw us swimming and boating, you’d see fellows do that sort of thing every day.’

It was a delicate instinct that made him underrate the feat he had performed, for he would have been so glad to have her feel under the slightest obligation to him; but as far as her perceptions were concerned, the beauty of his sentiment was lost, for when he said that the thing that he had done was easy, she believed him.

She still interrogated.  ’Why did you not speak and tell me who you were?’

There had been an ostensible and a real reason for this conduct on the Baby’s part.  The first was the order which his friends in the Syndicate boat had called after him as he jumped into the water, the second he spoke out now for the first time to Helen.

’I didn’t speak, Miss Johns, because I—­I couldn’t.  Oh! you have no idea—­really, you know, if you’d only believe me—­I love you so much, Miss Johns, I couldn’t say anything or I’d have said more than I ought, the sort of thing I’m saying now, you know.’

‘Tut!’ said Helen sharply, ‘what rubbish!’

’Oh! but Miss Johns—­yes, I knew you would think it was all rot and that sort of thing; that was the reason I didn’t say it in the boat, and that is the reason I’ve never dared to ask to be introduced to you, Miss Johns.  It wasn’t that I cared for the Syndicate.  You see, the worst of it is, I’m so confoundedly poor; they give me no sort of a screw at all at the bank, I do assure you.  But, Miss Johns, my uncle is one of the directors; he’s sure to give me a leg up before very long, and if you only knew—­oh! really if you only knew——­,’ words failed him quite when he tried to describe the strength of his devotion.  He only sat before her, supporting himself with both hands on the ground and looking up with a face that had no rounded outline now, but was white, passionate and pathetic; he could only murmur, ’really, really—­if you only knew——­’

The darkness barred her vision and the extravagant words in the boyish voice sounded ridiculous to her.

‘I will believe you,’ she said, ’if you want me to, but it doesn’t make any difference; I am sorry you are hurt, and sorry you have taken this fancy for me.  I think you will find some other girl very soon whom you will like better; I hope you will.  There isn’t’ (she was becoming vehement), ’there isn’t the slightest atom of use in your caring for me.’

‘Isn’t there?’ asked the Baby despairingly.  ’I wish you would say that you will think over it, Miss Johns; I wish you would say that I might know you and come and see you sometimes.  I’d cut the Syndicate and make it up with your uncle.’