Anna came in and looked about her.

"Give me the key of the boat," she said without preface. She used from
habit, even to her father, the imperative mood affirmative.

Mr. Warburton looked up, smoothed his brow, and began to ask, "What are
you going to do--?" But in the midst of his question he thought better
of it, acknowledging its uselessness; and, reaching into a little press
by his side, he took down a key and handed it to Anna without comment.
Anna said only, "Thank you, father." For we should be polite to our
parents when they do as we wish them.

She stood a moment looking back at the bowed figure, which, upon her
departure, had resumed the perplexed frown as though it had been a mask.
Then she walked briskly down to the boathouse.

Upon the eastern side of Suliscanna there is a beach. It is a rough
beach, but landing is just possible. There are cunning little spits of
sand in the angles of the stone reaches, and by good steering between
the boulders it is just possible to make boat's-way ashore.

"Row!" said Anna, after they had pushed the boat off, and began to feel
the hoist of the swell. "I will steer."

Simeon obediently took the oars and fell to it. So close in did Anna
steer to one point, that, raising her hand, she pulled a few heads of
pale sea-pink from a dry cleft as they drew past into the open water and
began to climb green and hissing mountains.

Then Anna opened her plans to Simeon.