When we went ashore I made an apology to Edwarda.

"If you knew how I wished myself back in my hut!" I said. "This has been
a long and painful day."

"Has it been a painful day for you, Lieutenant?"

"I mean," said I, trying to pass it off, "I mean, I have caused
unpleasantness both to myself and others. I threw your shoe into the
water."

"Yes--an extraordinary thing to do."

"Forgive me," I said.



XVI


What worse things might still happen? I resolved to keep calm, whatever
might come; Heaven is my witness. Was it I who had forced myself on her
from the first? No, no; never! I was but standing in her way one
week-day as she passed. What a summer it was here in the north! Already
the cockchafers had ceased to fly, and people were grown more and more
difficult to understand, for all that the sun shone on them day and
night. What were their blue eyes looking for, and what were they
thinking behind their mysterious lashes? Well, after all, they were all
equally indifferent to me. I took out my lines and went fishing for two
days, four days; but at night I lay with open eyes in the hut...