"The back-feathering stroke is hard to learn." "For all that, I mean to learn it before I go." "Perhaps I could teach it you.

How long have you got ?" "A fortnight," she said, moving on, and when she left him Thirlwell went to the mail-box and dropped in his letter.
Afterwards he felt annoyed that he had done so, and wondered whether he had weakly given way to a romantic impulse, but next morning he went down to the beach and found the girl launching a canoe.

Making her sit near the middle, he knelt in the stern and drove the canoe across the shining water with vigorous strokes.

Agatha wore a white jersey and had left her hat, and he noted the color the cool wind brought to her face and how the light sparkled on her hair.
By and by they skirted a rocky island where resinous smells drifted across the water and the reflections of tall pines wavered round the canoe, until he ran the craft on a shingle point and they changed places.

Agatha took the single-bladed paddle and although her hands were sore made some progress while he instructed her.