My Lady Caprice
terra-firma. Which done, he grinned again, waved his hat, and splashed upon his way. I made the boat secure and turned to Lisbeth. She was staring away towards the weir. 

 "Lisbeth," I began. 

 "I thought just now that—that it was the end!" she said, and shivered. 

 "And at such times," I added, "one sometimes says things one would not have said under ordinary circumstances. My dear, I quite understand-quite, and I'll try to forget—you needn't fear." 

 "Do you think you can?" she asked, turning to look at me. 

 "I can but try," I answered. Now as I spoke I wasn't sure, but I thought I saw the pale ghost of the dimple by her mouth. 

 We walked back side by side along the river-path, very silently, for the most part, yet more than once I caught her regarding me covertly and with a puzzled air. 

 "Well?" I said at last, tentatively. 

 "I was wondering why you did it, Dick? Oh, it was mean! cruel! wicked! How could you?" 

 "Oh, well"—and I shrugged my shoulders, anathematising the Imp mentally the while. 

 "If I hadn't noticed that the rope was freshly cut, I should have thought it an accident," she went on. 

 "Naturally!" I said. 

 "And then, again, how came you in the boat?" 

 "To be sure!" I nodded. 

 "Still, I can scarcely believe that you would willfully jeopardise both our lives—my life!" 

 "A man who would do such a thing," I exclaimed, carried away by the heat of the moment, "would be a—a—" 

 "Yes," said Lisbeth quickly, "he would." 

 "—And utterly beyond the pale of all forgiveness!" 

 "Yes," said Lisbeth, "of course." 


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