"
"Right!" cried the Doctor. And just those few words from one boat to
another seemed to me pleasant and merry to hear.
Edwarda was wearing the same dress she had, worn the day before, as if
she had no other or did not care to put on another. Her shoes, too, were
the same. I fancied her hands were not quite clean; but she wore a brand
new hat, with feathers. She had taken her dyed jacket with her, and used
it to sit on.
At Herr Mack's request I fired a shot just as we were about to land, in
fact, two shots, both barrels--and they cheered. We rambled up over the
island, the workers greeted us all, and Herr Mack stopped to speak to
his folk. We found daisies and corn marigolds and put them in our
button-holes; some found harebells.
And there was a host of seabirds chattering and screaming, in the air
and on the shore.
We camped out on a patch of grass where there were a few stunted birches
with white stems. The hampers were opened, and Herr Mack saw to the
bottles. Light dresses, blue eyes, the ring of glasses, the sea, the
white sails. And we sang a little.
And cheeks were flushed.
* * * * *
An hour later, my whole being was joy; even little things affected me. A
veil fluttering from a hat, a girl's hair coming down, a pair of eyes
closing in a laugh--and it touched me.
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