“Then — must I go so soon?”

She did not answer. Once I thought I heard her moving softly, but the sound came from the wrong direction.

“Lois!”

No reply.

“Lois!” I repeated uneasily.

There was a ripple in the pool, silence, then somewhere in the darkness a faint splash.

“Good Lord!” said I. “Have you fallen in?”

“Not fallen in. But I am truly in, Euan. I couldn’t endure it any longer; and you didn’t seem to want to go� . So please remain where you now are.”

“Do you mean to say — — ”