For a long time she chided him gently for his aimless manner of living; and he defended himself with a half-mocking sadness.
At about sunset they rose reluctantly, sighed with one accord that the pleasant hours were over, looked at one another with sudden questioning eyes at the sound of the sighs, and looked quickly away.

They walked slowly, on feet reluctant to leave pleasant places, through the pines, silent, save that twice Sir Tancred sent his voice ringing among the trees in a call to Tinker.

They came to the landing-place, to find an empty sea, and looked at one another blankly.
"The children must have persuaded the men to take them for a cruise," said Sir Tancred.
"But they're late coming back," said Dorothy.
For a while their eyes explored the corners and recesses of the Gulf within sight, but found no _Petrel_.

Then Sir Tancred said, "Well, we must wait"; and spread a rug for her at the foot of a tree.

He paced up and down before her, keeping an eye over the water and talking to her.
The dusk deepened and deepened, and at last it was quite dark.
"We're in a fix," said Sir Tancred uneasily.