“That little boat,” he said. I gazed to windward, too, and now saw a scrap of white in the distance, in sharp relief.
“Small standing lug and jib; it’s her, right enough,” said Davies to himself, in a sort of nervous stammer.
He handed, or rather pushed, me the glasses, still gazing.
“No, it’s _hers_—the one she always sails. She’s come to meet m—, us.”
Through the glasses the white scrap became a graceful little sail, squared away for the light following breeze. An angle of the creek hid the hull, then it glided into view. Someone was sitting aft steering, man or woman I could not say, for the sail hid most of the figure. For full two minutes—two long, pregnant minutes—we watched it in silence. The damp air was fogging the lenses, but I kept them to my eyes; for I did not want to look at Davies. At last I heard him draw a deep breath, straighten himself up, and give one of his characteristic “h’ms”. Then he turned briskly aft, cast off the dinghy’s painter, and pulled her up alongside.
“You come too,” he said, jumping in, and fixing the rowlocks. (His hands were steady again.) I laughed, and shoved the dinghy off.
“I’d rather you did,” he said, defiantly.
“I’d rather stay. I’ll tidy up, and put the kettle on.” Davies had taken a half stroke, but paused.
“She might like to,” I suggested. “Chilly day, long way from home, common courtesy——”
“Carruthers,” said Davies, “if she comes aboard, please remember that she’s outside this business. There are no clues to be got from _her_.”
A little lecture which would have nettled me more if I had not been exultantly telling myself that, once and for all, for good or ill, the Rubicon was passed.
“It’s your affair this time,” I said; “run it as you please.”
He sculled away with vigorous strokes. “Just as he is,” I thought to myself: bare head, beaded with fog-dew, ancient oilskin coat (only one button); grey jersey; grey woollen trousers (like a deep-sea fisherman’s) stuffed into long boots. A vision of his antitype, the Cowes Philanderer, crossed me for a second. As to his face—well, I could only judge by it, and marvel, that he was gripping his dilemma by either horn, as firmly as he gripped his sculls.
I watched the two boats converging. They would meet in the natural course about three hundred yards away, but a hitch occurred. First, the sail-boat checked and slewed; “aground,” I concluded. The rowboat leapt forward still; then checked, too. From both a great splashing of sculls floated across the still air, then silence. The summit of the watershed, a physical Rubicon, prosaic and slimy, had still to be crossed, it seemed. But it could be evaded. Both boats headed for the northern side of the creek: two figures were out on the brink, hauling on two painters. Then Davies was striding over the sand, and a girl—I could see her now—was coming to meet him. And then I thought it was time to go below and tidy up.