It meant two or three days longer on the river, but what of that?
There would be no temptation in the engine-room to attach a casual wrench or so to the safety-valve as an offset to the builder's lack of confidence in his own boilers.

He saw to it that her state-room was well aft--steamers had a trick of blowing up forward.
Ne had now reached a state of the utmost satisfaction with himself and the situation.

Betty was friendly and charming.

He walked with her, and he talked with her by the hour; and always he was being entangled deeper and deeper in the web of her attraction.

"When alone he would pace the deck recalling every word she had spoken.