ose behind it,
she added: "Do you know, my Neil, I'm conceited enough to think you're
rather wonderful."

I bent down and kissed her with infinite tenderness.

"I am, Joyce," I said. "Exactly how wonderful you'll never know."

Then I lifted her up in my arms, and we went out of the cabin into the
cool darkness of the night.

"I'll row myself ashore," I said, "and leave the dinghy on the beach.
I shall be back about four o'clock, if that's not too early for you.
We ought to get our explosion over before there's any one about."

Joyce nodded. "I don't mind how early you come. The sooner the
better."

"Try and get some sleep," I added; "you'll be tired out tomorrow if
you don't."

"I'll try," said Joyce simply; "but I don't think I shall. I'm not
even sure I want to."

I kissed her once more, and slipping down into the dinghy, pulled off
for the shore. Everything around was dark and silent--the faint splash
of my oars alone breaking the utter stillness. Landing at my usual
spot, more by luck than judgment, I tugged the boat up out of reach of
the tide, and then, turning round, waved good-night to the _Betty_.

It was too dark to see anything, but I think Joyce sent me back my
message.

CHAPTER XIX

LAUNCHING A NEW INVENTION

The eastern sky was just flushing into light when I got back to
the creek at four o'clock. It was a beautiful morning--cool and
still--with the sweet freshness of early dawn in the air, and the
promise of a long unclouded day of spring sunshine.

I tugged the dinghy down to the water, and pushed off for the _Betty_,
which looked strangely small and unreal lying there in the dim,
mysterious twilight. The sound I made as I drew near must have reached
Joyce's ears. She was up on deck in a moment, fully dressed, and with
her hair twisted into a long bronze plait that hung down some way
below her waist. She looked as fresh and fair as the dawn itself.

"Beautifully punctual," she called out over the side. "I knew you
would be, so I started getting breakfast."

I caught hold of the gunwale and scrambled on board.

"It's like living at the Savoy," I said. "Breakfast was a luxury that
had never entered my head."

"Well, it's going to now," she returned, "unless you're in too great a
hurry to start. It's all ready in the cabin."

"We can spare ten minutes certainly," I said. "Experiments should
always be made on a full body."

I tied up the dinghy and followed her inside, where