A joke that was by no means proper set them all laughing, and then they turned round and lay at their ease upon the deck.
Directly they landed, Terence and Rachel drew together slightly in advance of the others.
"Thank God!" Terence exclaimed, drawing a long breath.

"At last we're alone." "And if we keep ahead we can talk," said Rachel.
Nevertheless, although their position some yards in advance of the others made it possible for them to say anything they chose, they were both silent.
"You love me ?" Terence asked at length, breaking the silence painfully.
To speak or to be silent was equally an effort, for when they were silent they were keenly conscious of each other's presence, and yet words were either too trivial or too large.
She murmured inarticulately, ending, "And you ?" "Yes, yes," he replied; but there were so many things to be said, and now that they were alone it seemed necessary to bring themselves still more near, and to surmount a barrier which had grown up since they had last spoken.

It was difficult, frightening even, oddly embarrassing.

At one moment he was clear-sighted, and, at the next, confused.
"Now I'm going to begin at the beginning," he said resolutely.

"I'm going to tell you what I ought to have told you before.