"Men of great affairs, my dear Annette, cannot permit attention to the petty details of conduct to disturb their purpose when a crisis presents itself. The truly big man lets his results speak for themselves. Mr. Garman exercises the privileges of the big man that he is. It is a privilege to see such a man meeting and solving a problem." "Do you know what it is about, father?" "Not at all. Nor do I concern myself. I know Mr. Garman." The girl leaned forward and peered in his eyes. "Do you really, father? Ah! I see you do. You too, then? But how you--a man?" "Annette," called Mrs. Livingstone, "will you please come in?" The meal that followed was a ghastly affair. One figure there alone would have served to cast gloom over the table. Senator Fairclothe sat crumpled in his chair, his white Vandyke beard crushed on his breast, looking ridiculously helpless. He had shrunk from his daughter's words. Not until he had drunk much champagne after the meal did he begin to recover. And soon after he strutted out to a shaded chair and fell asleep. Said Mrs. Livingstone presently: "Mr. Payne, I understand that Mr. Garman has given orders that the Egret is at your disposal if you wish to go down the river. I believe you had planned such a trip, had you not?" "Are you going?" asked Annette suddenly. "Yes. Our ditcher is down there at Gumbo Key. I'll feel safer if I start him up the river myself." Annette jumped up with a cry of relief. "Get my sweater coat, Aunty. Get one for yourself. Father! Father, wake up! We're all going for a nice, beautiful, cool ride down the river." "Annette!" gasped Mrs. Livingstone; but Annette carried all before her like a young spring storm. Payne had not contemplated a start until near evening, but within half an hour he found himself beside the girl leaning over the port rail of the Egret and watching the water curl away from her gleaming bows as the boat slipped swiftly downstream toward Gumbo Key. "I was suffocating back there," she explained. "I had to get away. Yes, Aunty; I'll come out of the sun in a minute--Mr. Payne, I want to thank you for the way you lied to my father about being satisfied with your land. Why did you do it?" He turned to her, intending to laugh the matter away, but as he met her look, his eyes betrayed him. "Why did you do it?" she whispered. Payne looked away; and there was no need for him to speak. "Oh, no!" she whispered. "Oh, no, no, no, no!" There was a long silence. At last he heard her stifle a sob and looked round. Annette was walking aft toward the cabin with slow, dragging steps. "My dear Annette!" cried Mrs. Livingstone and Senator Fairclothe together as they saw her face, but she pushed past them and disappeared in the cabin. "Sir!" began the Senator indignantly. "May I ask you for an explanation?" "Lafe," interrupted his sister quietly, "will you go and see how Annette is? I fear she stayed too long in the sun."