s own interests. Many a young man of the past generation, who was
no fool, has sacrificed everything for love. Not one young man in ten
thousand of the present generation, _except_ the fools, has sacrificed a
half-penny. The daughters of Eve still inherit their mother's merits
and commit their mother's faults. But the sons of Adam, in these latter
days, are men who would have handed the famous apple back with a bow,
and a "Thanks, no; it might get me into a scrape." When Allan--surprised
and disappointed--moved away out of Miss Milroy's reach to the forward
part of the boat, Pedgift Junior rose and followed him. "You're a very
nice girl," thought this shrewdly sensible young man; "but a client's a
client; and I am sorry to inform you, miss, it won't do." He set himself
at once to rouse Allan's spirits by diverting his attention to a new
subject. There was to be a regatta that autumn on one of the Broads, and
his client's opinion as a yachtsman might be valuable to the committee.
"Something new, I should think, to you, sir, in a sailing match on fresh
water?" he said, in his most ingratiatory manner. And Allan, instantly
interested, answered, "Quite new. Do tell me about it!"

As for the rest of the party at the other end of the boat, they were in
a fair way to confirm Mrs. Pentecost's doubts whether the hilarity of
the picnic would last the day out. Poor Neelie's natural feeling of
irritation under the disappointment which Allan's awkwardness had
inflicted on her was now exasperated into silent and settled resentment
by her own keen sense of humiliation and defeat. The major had relapsed
into his habitually dreamy, absent manner; his mind was turning
monotonously with the wheels of his clock. The curate still secluded his
indigestion from public view in the innermost recesses of the cabin; and
the curate's mother, with a second dose ready at a moment's notice,
sat on guard at the door. Women of Mrs. Pentecost's age and character
generally enjoy their own bad spirits. "This," sighed the old lady,
wagging her head with a smile of sour satisfaction "is what you call
a day's pleasure, is it? Ah, what fools we all were to leave our
comfortable homes!"

Meanwhile the boat floated smoothly along the windings of the watery
labyrinth which lay between the two Broads. The view on either side was
now limited to nothing but interminable rows of reeds. Not a sound was
heard, far or near; not so much as a glimpse of cultivated or inh