Page:Life's little ironies (1894).pdf/228

perceived, and might have forgotten the appointment at the bench,

"'All in? asked James.

"'All but one boat,’ said the lessor, ‘I can’t think where that couple is keeping to. They might run foul of somethiug or other in the dark.’

"Again Stephen’s wife and Olive’s husband waited, with more and more anxiety. But no little yellow boat returned. Was it possible they could have landed farther down the Esplanade ?

“It may have been done to escape paying,’ said the boat-owner. ‘But they didn’t look like people who would do that,’

“ James Hardcome knew that he could found no hope on such a reason as that. But oow, remembering what had been casually discussed between Steve and himaelf about their wives from time to time, he admitted for the first time the possibility that their old tenderness had been revived by their face-to-face position more strongly than either had anticipated at starting—the excursion having been so obviously undertaken for the pleasure of the performance only—and that they had landed at some steps he knew of farther down towards the pier, to be longer alone together.

“Still he disliked to harbor the thought, and would not mention its existence to his companion. He merely said to her, ‘Let ue walk farther on.’

“They did so, and lingered between the boat-stage and the pier till Stephen Hardcome’s wife was uneasy, and was obliged to accept James's offered arm. Thus the night advanced. Emily was presently so worn out by fatigue that James felt it necessary to conduct her home ; there was, too, a remote chance that the truants had landed in the harbor on the other side of the town, or elsewhere, and hastened home in some unexpected