paddle, he drove the canoe across the tranquil lake.

In the meantime, he imagined Ruth studied him with quiet amusement, and
wondered whether she thought he was not playing up. He did not mean to
play up; the game was intricate, and, if he were rash, might cost him
much. He had taken off his hat and jacket and effort had brought back
the color to his skin. His thin face had the clean bronze tint of an
Indian's; the soft shirt showed the fine-drawn lines of his athletic
figure; but Lister was not conscious of this. He knew his drawbacks, but
not all his advantages.

When he had gone some distance and the hotel and houses began to melt
into the background, he stopped and let the canoe drift.

"How far shall we go?" he asked.

Ruth indicated a rocky point, cut off by the glimmering reflection, that
seemed to float above the horizon.

"Let's see what is on the other side. Now and then one wants to know.
Exploration's intriguing. Don't you think so?"

"Sometimes; in a practical sense. When a height of land cuts the
landscape, I wonder whether one could find an easy down-grade for the
track across the summit. That's about as far as my imagination goes."

"Oh, well," said Ruth, "exploration like that is useful and one doesn't
run much risk. But risk and adventure appeal to some people."

Lister resumed paddling. The girl had charm and he was young; if he were