Page:Leah Reed--Brenda's summer at Rockley.djvu/132

118 sailing myself, and Julia, I am sure, is hardly equal to a rough tossing about. Don’t you think that it will be rough, Philip?”

“As to the last question, Mrs. Barlow, I’m sure that it won’t be rough. The ‘Balloon’ will glide like a bird, and before you know it, we shall have had a delightful sail. If I did n’t feel sure that you and Julia would be perfectly  comfortable, I would n’t ask you to go.”

“But the people on the ‘Crusoe,’ what will they think of us?”

“Why, they ’ve gone outside themselves! We ’re more likely to see them by sailing than by lying at anchor.”

“Yes, really, Mrs. Barlow, do let us show you what the ‘Balloon’ can do under sail,” and Tom Hearst spoke with  great earnestness.

Mrs. Barlow smiled at the eagerness of the two youths. “Your last argument was really the strongest, Philip; I think myself that we might as well keep our eye to the  ‘Crusoe.’ I had forgotten that she had deserted us.”

“Never mind,” said Philip, “we ’ll overtake her, and make her ashamed of herself.”

Thus with sails almost full, the “Balloon” started out, almost like a living creature, as if she felt the spirit of  emulation that possessed the breasts of her young owners.

“It does n’t seem possible that it can be hot on shore,” said Nora, as they danced along.

“No, indeed,” and Julia’s voice had a note of pity in it, as she added; “just think of the poor people stifling in narrow streets to-day.”