Fairly seated in a boat, with the sculls shipped, and some one at the tiller lines, Lawrence could get along tolerably well, for he knew just enough not to catch a crab in smooth water, so long as he was not obliged to turn his head. But if he had to look over his shoulder, something was certain to happen, which was natural, considering that when he attempted to feather at all, he did it the wrong way. "You're stronger than anybody would think," observed Fanny, as she saw how quickly the skiff moved. "You might do things quite decently, if you'd only take the trouble to learn." "Oh no! I'm a born duffer," laughed Lawrence. "Besides, I couldn't row long like this. I couldn't keep it up." They were just in front of the clubhouse now; and a score of rockets went up together, with a rushing and a crackling and a gleaming, as they soared and burst, and at last fell sputtering in the water all around the skiff. Lawrence had rested on his sculls to watch the sight. "Pull away!" said Fanny. "We'll get under the foot-bridge by the landing. There's water enough there, and we can see everything." Lawrence obeyed, and pulled as hard as he could. "So your friend Mr. Brinsley is going away," observed the young girl, suddenly. "My friend! I like that! As though I had brought him in my pocket." "I'm very glad that he's going, at all events," said Fanny, without heeding his remark. "I'm not fond of him any more." "I hope you never were--fond of him." "Oh yes, I was--but I'm thankful to say that it's over. Of all the ineffable cads! I could have killed him to-day!" "By the bye," said Lawrence, "when he was mounting you--didn't you do that on purpose?" "Of course. And then I called him awkward. It was so nice! It did me good." "Pure spite, I suppose. You couldn't have had any particular reason for doing it, could you?" "Oh dear, no! What reason could I have? It wasn't his fault that the mare ran away, though I told him it was." "That's interesting," observed Lawrence. "Do you often do things out of pure spite?" "Constantly--without any reason at all!" Fanny laughed. "Perhaps you'll marry out of spite, some day," said Lawrence, calmly. "Women often do, they say, though I never could understand why." "I daresay I shall. I'm quite capable of it. And shouldn't I be just horrid afterwards!" "I like you when you're horrid, as you call it. I didn't at first. You've given my sense of humour a chance to grow since I've been here. I say, Miss Trehearne--" He stopped. "What do you say? It isn't particularly polite to begin in that way, is it? I suppose it's English." "Oh, bother the English! And I apologize for being slangy. It's so dark that I can't see you frown. I meant to say, if you ever marry out of spite, and want to be particularly horrid afterwards, it wouldn't be a bad idea to marry me, for I don't mind that sort of thing a bit, you know."