But she had it all arranged.

Captain Bellfield found himself constrained to attend to Mrs Green, while Mr Cheesacre walked down to the beach beside Kate Vavasor.

"I'll take your arm, Mr Joe," said the widow, "and the girls shall come with us." But when they got to the boats, round which the other comers to the picnic were already assembled, Mr Cheesacre,--although both the boats were for the day his own,--found himself separated from the widow.

He got into that which contained Kate Vavasor, and was shoved off from the beach while he saw Captain Bellfield arranging Mrs Greenow's drapery.

He had declared to himself that it should be otherwise; and that as he had to pay the piper, the piper should play as he liked it.