Only, I could
not suppose that you would count up the days. You are ... considerate.
Perhaps--but--'
'Tell Leda?'
'Perhaps.... I was going to say ... you might come fishing with me....'
'O luck!' she went softly.
I was pierced by a sense of my base cowardice, my incredible weakness:
but I could not at all help it.
I took the flowers, and we went down to the south side, where my boat
lay; I threw out some of the fish from the well; arranged the tackle,
and then the stern cushions for her; got up the sails; and out we went,
she steering, I in the bows, with every possible inch of space between
us, receiving delicious intermittent whiffs from her of ambergris,
frangipane, or some blending of perfumes, the morning being bright and
hot, with very little breeze on the water, which looked mottled, like
colourless water imperfectly mixed with indigo-wash, we making little
headway; so it was some time before I moved nearer her to get the par
for fixing on the three-triangle flight, for I was going to trail for
salmon or large lake-trout; and during all that time we spoke not a word
together.
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