The thought of the girl's father crossed his mind, only to be instantly dismissed. Even if he had been within reach, Captain Larpent's sternly unapproachable exterior would have held him back. He was inclined to like the man, but he could not feel that Toby's welfare was, or ever had been, of paramount importance to him. He had thoughts only for his yacht. Bunny began to reflect moodily that life was a more complicated affair than he had ever before imagined, and, reaching this point, he also reached the gate by the copse and became aware of cigar-smoke dominating the atmosphere above the scent of his own now burnt-out pipe. He removed the pipe from his mouth and looked around him. "Hullo!" said a voice he knew. "Do I intrude?" Saltash stepped suddenly out of the shadow of the larches and met him with outstretched hand. "Hullo!" said Bunny, with a start. A quick smile of welcome lighted his face, and Saltash's eyes flashed in answer. He gripped the boy's hand with fingers that closed like springs. "What are you doing here?" he said. "Just what I was going to ask you," said Bunny. "I often come here in the evening. It's my favourite look-out. But you--" "I do the same for the same reason," said Saltash. "I thought you were far away on the high seas," said Bunny. Saltash laughed. "Well, I was. But I don't stay there, my good Bunny. _The Blue Moon_ developed engine trouble--nothing very serious, but we brought her back to recuperate. You can never tell what you may be in for on a first voyage. Also, I was curious to see how affairs here were progressing. How goes it, _mon ami_? Is all well?" "Well enough," said Bunny. Saltash linked a friendly hand in his arm. "Have you and Nonette settled when to get married yet?" Bunny stiffened momentarily, as if his instinct were to resent the kindly enquiry. But the next instant he relaxed again with impulsive confidence. "Well, it is more or less settled," he said. "But I'm wondering--you know, Charlie, she's rather young to be married, isn't she? She hasn't seen much of the world so far. You don't think it's shabby, do you, to marry her before she's had the same sort of chances as other girls?" "Good heavens, no!" said Saltash. He gave Bunny an odd look from under brows that were slightly twisted. "What made you think of that?" he asked. Bunny's face was red. He leaned his arms on the gate and looked out across the valley. "Sheila Melrose put it to me this afternoon," he said, "though I must admit it had crossed my mind before. She hasn't met many people, you know, Charlie. And--as I said--she's young. I don't want to take an unfair advantage." "Life is too short to think of these things," said Saltash abruptly. "Marry her while you can get her and don't be an ass about it! If I had done the same thing in my youth, I should have been better off than I am at present." Bunny smiled a little. "You would probably have been wishing you'd done the other thing by this time."