She turned, halfway to the door and examined his face.

"Sorry? For what?"

"That I haven't the authority to forbid you."

"_You?_" she laughed. "That _is_ amusing."

"I would teach you some truths that you have never learned," he
persisted, "the fatuity of mere bravado, the uses of life. You
couldn't play with it if you knew something of its value--"

"The only value of life is in what you can get from it--"

"Or in what you can give from it--"

"Good-bye, Mr. Markham. I will join your school of philosophy another
day. Meanwhile--" and she pointed her gauntleted hand toward the open
doorway, "life shall pay me one more sensation."

He shrugged his shoulders and followed.

The machine was already on the lawn surrounded by Hermia's guests and
preliminary experiments had proven that all was ready. Hermia climbed
into the seat unaided, while Markham stood at one side and watched the
propellers started. Faster and faster they flew, the machine held by
Armistead and the Frenchman, while Hermia sat looking straight before
her down the lawn through the opening between the rocks which led to
open water.