feared it would
be after twelve before they could rejoin Miss Jenny Ann. The sun was so
nearly overhead and shining so brilliantly that the effect was almost
dazzling. Madge and Phil did not try to see any distance ahead in their
course. Lillian, however, was on the lookout. There were several inlets
opening into the larger water-way down which the girls were rowing. Boats
were likely to come unexpectedly out of these inlets, and the girls
should have been far more watchful than they were.

"It's too bad about Mrs. Curtis and Tom not coming on to Cape May as soon
as we expected them, isn't it?" remarked Phil, resting for half a moment
from the strain of the steady pulling at her oars. "I hope they will
arrive soon, before we have the responsibility of entertaining Mrs.
Curtis's friend, Philip Holt. It won't be much fun to have a strange man
following us about everywhere, even if he should turn out to be nicer
than we think he is." Phil was the stroke oar. She was talking over her
shoulder to Madge, who was paying more attention to her friend's
conversation than to her rowing.

"Oh, I think Mrs. Curtis and Tom will be along soon," she rejoined. "I
felt dreadfully when we received the telegram this morning. But now I
hope Mrs. Curtis's brother will get well in a hurry. Perhaps they will be
here almost as soon as this Philip. I'll wager you a pound of chocolates,
Phil, that this goody-goody young man can't swim or row, or do anything
like an ordinary person. He will just think every single thing we do is
perfectly dreadful, and will frighten Tania to death with his preaching.
I know he thinks her fairy stories are lies. He told Mrs. Curtis that
Tania never spoke the truth." Madge lowered her voice. "I am sure we have
never caught her in a lie. I suppose this Philip will think my
exaggerations are as bad as Tania's fairy stories. I hate too literal
people."

"Dear me, whom are you and Phil discussing, Madge?" inquired Lillian,
leaning over from her seat in the stern with Tania, to try to catch her
friends' low-voiced conversation. "If it is that Philip Holt, you need
not think that he will trouble us very much when he comes to Cape May. He
is just the kind of person who will trot after all the rich people he
meets, and waste very little energy on those who have neither money nor
social position."

Lillian was looking at Madge and Phil as she talked. For the moment she
forgot to keep a sharp watch about on the water. But