The party gathered round and watched the water slowly rising.

The woman looked down, and shuddered; the man was standing by her side.
"'How deep it is,' she said.
"'Yes,' he replied, 'it holds thirty feet of water, when full.' "The water crept up inch by inch.
"'Why don't you open the gates, and let it in quickly ?' she asked.
"'It would not do for it to come in too quickly,' he explained; 'we shall half fill this lock, and then open the sluices at the other end, and so let the water pass through.' "The woman looked at the smooth stone walls and at the iron-plated gates.
"'I wonder what a man would do,' she said, 'if he fell in, and there was no one near to help him ?' "The man laughed.

'I think he would stop there,' he answered.

'Come, the others are waiting for us.' "He lingered a moment to give some final instructions to the workmen.
'You can follow on when you've made all right,' he said, 'and get something to eat.

There's no need for more than one to stop.' Then they joined the rest of the party, and sauntered on, laughing and talking, to the picnic ground.
"After lunch the party broke up, as is the custom of picnic parties, and wandered away in groups and pairs.