And the boat drifted aimlessly in the evening light. The sun had set, and the moon, the witness of so many lovers' vows--both true and false--had shown her silvery light above the surrounding cliffs; and still the two sat on and scarcely spoke, yet, in speechless eloquence, recounting to each other the old, old tale.
And, when the sweet Ulama left the boat, her heart could scarce contain the joy that filled it; and in her eye there was a light that it had lacked before, so that the king, her father, drew her affectionately to him and asked her what had wrought this wondrous change.
She shyly bent her head and answered him,
"To-morrow thou shalt know, my father." Then she hid her blushing face upon his shoulder. "I have a favour to ask of thee; but--I would fain not speak of it this evening."
Then, as though fearing that he would wrest from her the secret of her joy, she stole swiftly to her room, and from her window looked across the lake, now shimmering in the silver moonbeams.
For long she sat there motionless, dreaming youth's fond dreams; dwelling, in loving tenderness, on every word and look she could recall of Leonard while the boat had drifted here and there, and the lap, lap, lap, of the ripples against the sides had kept up a soft musical accompaniment to the rhythm of love's heart-beats.
In pursuance of their design of making signals from the summit of Roraima, the two friends made further explorations of the northern side. And this led them into an adventure, one day, that had well-nigh proved fatal to them both.
On mentioning their intention to Monella, he had at first objected; but, upon Leonard's reminding him of the anxiety and distress Templemore's mother and _fiancée_ might be, too probably were, in, he had given a reluctant consent.
"Your friends, Dr. Lorien and his son, talked of coming back again," he remarked. "Do you think they are likely to make the journey with Matava, and to be coming to seek for you?"
"Certainly they are coming into this neighbourhood, after orchids," Leonard replied; "and, now you speak of it--though I had not thought about it lately--the news Matava will probably take back may cause such anxiety that they may hurry to get here sooner than they would otherwise have been likely to, in order to make inquiry about us on the spot."