"Oh, you need not be afraid," her host said, laughing. "They only go
round the Nore; and with this steady breeze they ought to be back early
in the afternoon. My dear Miss White, we sha'n't allow you to disappoint
the British public."

"So I may abandon myself to complete idleness without concern?"

"Most certainly."

And it was an enjoyable sort of idleness. The river was full of life and
animation as they glided along; fitful shadows and bursts of sunshine
crossed the foliage and pasture-lands of the flat shores; the yellow
surface of the stream was broken with gleams of silver; and always, when
this somewhat tame, and peaceful, and pretty landscape tended to become
monotonous, they had on this side or that the spectacle of one of those
tall and beautiful yachts rounding on a new tack or creeping steadily up
on one of her opponents. They had a sweepstakes, of course, and Macleod
drew the favorite. But then he proceeded to explain to Miss White that
the handicapping by means of time allowances made the choice of a
favorite a mere matter of guesswork; that the fouling at the start was
of but little moment: and that on the whole she ought to exchange yachts
with him.

"But if the chances are all equal, why should your yacht be better than
mine?" said she.

The argument was unanswerable; but she took the favorite for all that,
because he wished her to do so; and she tendered him in return the bit
of folded paper with the name of a rival yacht on it. It had been in her