of Thames water from his mouth in a manner which led me to know that the
sooner I got away from there the better it would be for me. I kept out
of his way until dinner-time, and only permitted him to suspect that I
saw his disappearance by politely ignoring the fact that all his and
Mrs. Jimmie's lingerie, to speak delicately, was floating about, hanging
from pegs in unused portions of the house-boat. My silence was so
suspicious that finally Jimmie could stand it no longer.

"Did you see me go down?" he demanded.

"I did not," I answered him, firmly, whereat he released my elbow and I
edged around to the other side of the table.

"But I saw you come up," I said, pleasantly, "and I saw what you said."

"Saw?" said Jimmie. "Saw what I said?"

"Certainly! There was enough blue light around your remarks for me to
have seen them in the dark."

"Well, what have you got to say about it?" he said, resigning himself.

"Only this, and that is that this afternoon's performance in that canoe
was the only instance in my life where I thoroughly approved of the
workings of Providence. Ordinarily the good die young and the guilty
one escapes."

"Is that all?" growled Jimmie.

"Yes," I said, hesitatingly, "I think it is. Did I mention before that I