They had reached the edge of the river by this time and others came up
with them. For a while they managed to keep out of old Mrs. Van
Truder's range of vision, but her sharp eyes soon caught sight of them
as they tried to slip into a boat that was already crowded to its full
capacity.
"Why, Eleanor Thursdale!" shouted the old lady, her aristocratic eyes
almost crossing in their stare of amazement.
"Discovered!" groaned Dauntless to the willows.
Mrs. Van Truder pounced upon Eleanor and, between personal questions
and impersonal reflections upon non-government railways, gave her a
dizzy quarter of an hour. She ignored Mr. Dauntless almost
completely,--quite entirely when she discovered Mr. Windomshire in the
background. Little old Mr. Van Truder, in his usual state of
subjection, was permitted to study the scenery at close range.
"I was so afraid you'd marry that horrid Dauntless fellow," whispered
Mrs. Van Truder. Eleanor gave vent to a constrained laugh.
"How perfectly preposterous!"
"When are you to be married, my dear?"
"At once--I mean, quite soon. Isn't the scenery beautiful, Mr. Van
Truder?" asked Eleanor in desperation.
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