"Would you like to go over her?" suggested the boatman. "Here's the keys to everything, Mr. Fessenden--the rooms, and these are for the lockers and the water-tanks." The party clambered aboard and proceeded to explore the little craft. The women exclaimed with surprise and delight. "Two cabins!" said Mrs. Dick Randall. "One at each end--do you see, Polly? And what's this cunning cubby-hole between the rooms?" "That's the galley, ma'am," answered the boatman. "The kitchen, you'd call it. Do you see that little oil-stove, there? Big enough to do what's wanted plenty. Yes'm, she's as well found as any old-time Baltimore clipper, she is. A cabin aft for the owner, and a fok's'l room for me. Mr. Danton used to say he had a right to make me comfortable, if he wanted to. You know his queer ways, maybe. We kept the stores in those lockers. She's got some of 'em aboard yet." "I should say so," declared Polly, who had been rummaging about. "Potted tongue and jams, and a whole ham, and, I declare, here's the sweetest little coffee-tin full of coffee!" "Mr. Danton was thinkin' of takin' a cruise," explained the boatman. "And when you bought the _Wisp_, sir, he telegraphed to turn her over right away, in case you wanted to use her while you was here. Well, gentlemen, if you'll excuse me, I'll be walkin' over to the station to catch my train back to Polocoke." He touched his cap and tramped away up the knoll toward the road. "Let's all go for a sail in her," said May Belle. At the suggestion, an idea sprang full-grown into Fessenden's mind. "Some other time," he returned. "I'd rather try her out by myself first. I want to see if she has any mean tricks before I risk any life besides my own. If the wind's right, I may tack about a bit this afternoon." He realized that he had explained too elaborately--Miss Yarnell bent an intent look upon him. As he was returning up the pathway at her side--the others a safe distance ahead--she touched his arm. "Please take me with you when you go sailing this afternoon?" "Oh, I may not go. If I do, I think you'd better not. You see, the _Wisp_ may be a crank." "Nonsense! Besides, I'm a good sailor--swimmer too. I shouldn't care if we were capsized." "I'd care for you." "Please take me. I want particularly to go." "Really, I can't." "You mean you won't!" "I'd rather not, at any rate." Again her intent look surprised him. "Not if I bent 'on bended knee' to you?" "Not if you begged me with bitter tears," he laughed. "I thought you wouldn't, before I asked you," she said broodingly. "I knew it would be of no use." "You did? Why do you want so much to go?" "If I tell you that, will you tell me why you won't take me?" "I can't promise. But what reason can there be except that I don't care to risk your life in a boat I know nothing about?" "What solicitude!" she said with sarcasm. "'Men were deceivers ever.'" She gave him an enigmatic smile as they took up their tennis rackets.