"You wouldn't take me back even if I were angry," she said.

"You have guessed it," said Jimmy approvingly. "Do you read much
poetry, Molly?"

"Why?"

"I was only thinking how neatly some of these poets put a thing. The
chap who said, 'distance lends enchantment to the view,' for instance.
Take the case of Wesson. He looks quite nice when you see him at a
distance like this, with a good strip of water in between."

Mr. Wesson was still standing in a statuesque attitude on the bank.
Molly, gazing over the side of the boat into the lake, abstained from
feasting her eyes on the picturesque spectacle.

"Jolly the water looks," said Jimmy.

"I was just thinking it looked rather dirty."

"Beastly," agreed Jimmy.

The water as a topic of conversation dried up. Mr. Wesson had started
now to leave the stricken field. There was a reproachful look about
his back which harassed Molly's sensitive conscience. Jimmy, on the
other hand--men being of coarser fibre than women, especially as to
the conscience--appeared in no way distressed at the sight.

"You oughtn't to have done it, Jimmy," said Molly.