ung misses on my back;
I'll carry them first."

He waded with Aldred to his own boat, returning to fetch Mabel, and the
boys scrambled after him as best they could.

"It's Pritchard's boat, isn't it?" he said. "I'm passing the ferry, so
if you like I'll tell him what's happened. If you cross through the wood
there, and turn to the right of the iron gate, you'll find your way
straight to the village."

The boys went home in rather subdued spirits.

"We shall have to go down to the ferry this evening and explain things
to Pritchard," said Piers. "I hope he won't cut up rough about the
boat."

"I'm afraid he'll want compensation," said Francis, "I split that
spliced oar with trying to shove her off."

"What an abominable swindle! It'll take half our next term's cash. I
don't believe the pater will stand it for us."

"I'm sure he won't, after that little affair of the rifle and old
Carter's dog!" put in Godfrey.

"Well, never mind if we have to pay up. We shall survive it, I suppose,"
said Francis. "We're making Mabel and Aldred look quite uncomfortable.
It seems a stingy trick to take them out rowing, land them on a
sandbank, and then spend all the rest of the time growling over the
damage. But I know one thing: if ever we have that boat again, I'm going
to make a chart of the river first, and mark down all the shoals!"

CHAPTER XVI

An Opportunity

Mabel and Aldred returned to Birkwood on terms of even closer intimacy
than before. There is always a difference between a companion who is
only an acquaintance at school and one who shares the many little home
associations and interests that make a bond of union apart from the
other girls, and give innumerable subjects for those confidential talks
which are the chief joy of friendship. The bedroom that had once seemed
entirely Mabel's was now taken up with joint possessions. Aldred had
helped to buy the new gipsy table that stood in the window, and had
embroidered half of the table-cloth that covered it. The cushion for the
wicker chair was a present from Lady Muriel to both the girls; and the
knick-knacks that they had brought back with them were so entirely mixed
that it was difficult to tell which belonged to either. "All things in
common" was Mabel's motto, and Aldred, who certainly got the better of
the bargain, was only too ready to agree.

It was high summer now at the Grange--glorious, golden days, when the
sea breeze, or the wind from the downs