“It would be pleasant wherever you girls were,” said Ned, with an attempt at gallantry.

“Thank you!” exclaimed Nellie, making a low, bow.

“You’re improving, Ned,” remarked Jeer, critically.  “In time you’ll be able to go out in polite society.”

“Oh, is that so’?” remarked Ned, sarcastically, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” retorted Jerry, bowing low.

“Oh, stow that away for use at some future time,” advised Bob.  “Come on, if we’re going out in a boat.”

There was a little wharf, at which the Seaburys kept a couple of rowboats, and, as six were too many to go into one craft, Nellie and Jerry occupied the smaller, while Bob and Ned, Olivia and Rose, got into the other.

“Where shall we go?” asked Ned.

“Oh, row around anywhere,” replied Jerry.  “We’ll have to get used to oars, we haven’t handled ’em in quite a while.”

The boys soon found that the skill with which they had formerly used the ashen blades, before the era of their motor boat, was coming back to them, and they sent the skiffs around the bay at fairly good speed, the two crafts keeping close together.

“This is something like work,” announced Jerry, as he rested on his oars, and let the boat drift with the tide, which was running in.

“That’s what it is,” declared Ned.  “I wish—­”

“Thank you!” exclaimed Olivia.  “I’m sure we’re very sorry that we have given you so much work.  We didn’t know we were so heavy; did we girls?”

“No, indeed!” chimed in Rose.  “If you will kindly row us back to shore, we’ll get out and you boys can go where you please.  Work!  The idea!”

“Oh, I say now!” cried Ned, alarmed at the effect of his words.  “I didn’t mean—­ Jerry didn’t mean—­ we—­”

“Of course not!” added Jerry.  “I only said—­”

“You said it was hard work to row us around,” declared Nellie in rather icy tones.

“Well I meant—­ you see since we had a motor boat—­ that is I—­ we—­ it’s rather—­”

“Now don’t try to get out of it and make it worse,” advised Olivia.  “We know what you said, and what you meant.”

“I didn’t say anything,” put in Bob, with an air of virtue.

“Good reason,” declared Jerry.  “You’re so busy eating that cocoanut candy that you didn’t have time to speak.  Besides you’re not rowing.”

“Oh, has he got cocoanut candy!” cried Nellie.  “Give me some and we’ll forgive you for the rude way you and Ned spoke, Jerry.  Won’t we girls?”

“Of course,” chorused Olivia and Rose.

“I—­ I didn’t know you cared for cocoanut candy,” declared Bob, rather ashamed that he had not, before this, offered the girls some.

“Oh, don’t we though!” exclaimed Nellie.  “Just you pass some over and you’ll see, Bob,” for the two boats had drifted close together.

Bob, who had purchased a big bag full of the confection, before they had started for the row, passed it over, and the girls helped themselves generously.