But he said something about swimming at five.
Her face brightened joyously.
Then well meet at the pool. Paula said at five, too.
As they parted under a long arcade, where his way led to the tower room for a change into riding clothes, she stopped suddenly and called:
Oh, Mr. Graham.
He turned obediently.
You really must not fall in love with Paula, you know.
I shall be very, very careful, he said solemnly, although there was a twinkle in his eye as he concluded.
Nevertheless, as he went on to his room, he admitted to himself that the Paula Forrest charm had already reached him. He would prefer to ride with her than with his old friend Dick.
As he emerged from the house, he looked eagerly for his hostess. Only Dick was there, and the stableman[48]. Dick pointed out her horse.
I dont know her plans, he said. She hasnt shown up yet, but at any rate[49] shell be swimming later. Well meet her then.
Graham appreciated and enjoyed the ride. Then they went to the pool.
7
Have youof course, you have, said Paula. learned to win through an undertow[50]?
Yes, I have, Graham answered, looking at her cheeks. Thirty-eight! He wondered if Ernestine had lied. Paula Forrest did not look twenty-eight. Her skin was the skin of a girl, with all the delicate, fine-pored and thin transparency of the skin of a girl.
By not fighting the undertow, she went on. By yielding to its down-drag and out-drag, and working with it to reach air again. Dick taught me that trick.
Will you sport a bet[51], Evan? Dick Forrest queried.
I want to hear the terms of it first, was the answer.
Cigars against cigars that you cant catch Paula in the pool inside ten minutesno, inside five, for I remember youre an excellent swimmer.
Oh, give him a chance, Dick, Paula cried generously. Ten minutes will worry him.
But you dont know him, Dick argued. And you dont value my cigars. I tell you he is a good swimmer.
Perhaps Ill reconsider. Tell me his history and prizes.
Ill just tell you one thing. It was in 1892. He did forty miles in forty-five hours, and only he and one other reached the land. And they were all aborigines. He was the only white man; and everybody drowned
I thought you said there was one other? Paula interrupted.
She was a woman, Dick answered.
And the woman was then a white woman? Paula insisted.
Graham looked quickly at her, and although she had asked the question of her husband, her head turned to the turn of his head. Graham answered:
She was an aborigine.
A queen, if you please, Dick said. A queen of the ancient tribe. She was Queen of Huahoa[52].
How did she succeed? Paula asked. Or did you help her?
I rather think we helped each other toward the end, Graham replied. We were both terribly tired. We reached the land at sunset. We slept where we crawled out of the water. Next mornings sun burnt us awake, and we crept into the shade of some wild bananas, found fresh water, and went to sleep again. Next I awoke it was night. I took another drink, and slept through till morning. She was still asleep when the aborigines found us.
She must be forever grateful, Paula assumed, looking directly at Graham. Dont tell me she wasnt young, wasnt beautiful, wasnt a golden young goddess.
Her mother was the Queen of Huahoa, Graham answered. Her father was an English gentleman. They were dead at the time of the swim, and Nomare[53] was queen herself. Yes, she was young. She was beautiful as any woman anywhere in the world may be beautiful. Thanks to her fathers skin, she was not golden brown. But youve heard the story undoubtedly
He looked at Dick, who shook his head.
Youll tell me the rest of the story some time, Paula said.
Dick knows it. I dont understand why he hasnt told you.
She shrugged her shoulders.
Perhaps because hes never had the time.
Graham laughed.
I was once a king of the cannibal isles, or of a paradise of a Polynesian isle[54].
I see, Paula waited for Dick to help her off.
8
Cigars! And boxes of candy, gloves, or anything, Ernestine said, smiling.
But I dont know Mrs. Forrests records, either, Graham protested. However, if in five minutes
Ten minutes, Paula said, and to start from opposite ends of the pool. Is that fair? If you touch me, you win.
Graham looked his hostess over with secret approval. She was clad, not in the single white silk slip, but in a coquettish suit of changeable light blue and green silkalmost the color of the pool; the skirt slightly above the knees; with long stockings, and tiny bathing shoes. On her head was a jaunty swimming cap.
Graham walked down to the other end of the hundred-and-fifty-foot pool.
Paula, youll be caught for sure, Dick warned. Evan Graham is a real fish man. I saw the rock he dived from at Huahoa. That was after his time, and after the death of Queen Nomare. He was only a youngstertwenty-two. And he did it. So, get ready!
Its almost a shame to play tricks on so reputable swimmer, Paula said while both waited the signal.
He may get you before you can turn the trick[55], Dick warned again.
All OK, one of Dicks guest, Bert, assured. I went in myself. The pipe is working. Theres plenty of air.
Ready! Dick called. Go!
Paula climbed the scaffold and jumped into the water. The moment she entered the water, Graham swung out on the platform and waited. He was confident that he could outspeed her, and his dive entered him in the water twenty feet beyond her entrance.
But at the instant he was in, Dick dipped two flat rocks into the water and struck them together. This was the signal for Paula to change her course. Graham heard the noise and wondered. He swam to the far end at high speed. He pulled himself out and watched the surface of the pool. Little Lady was drawing herself out of the pool at the other end.
Again he ran down the side of the tank, and again she climbed the scaffold. She swam toward the west side of the pool. They almost were in the air at the same time. In the water and under it, he could feel the agitation left by her progress; but the water was so dark he could see nothing.
When he touched the side of the pool he came up. Paula was not in sight. He drew himself out, panting, and stood ready to dive in at the first sign of her. But there were no signs.
Seven minutes! said Rita, Ernestines sister. And a half! Eight! And a half!
But they saw no Paula Forrest. Strangely, Graham saw no alarm on the faces of the others.
Shes been under water over two minutes, and youre all too calm about it, he said. Ive still a minutemaybe I dont lose, he added quickly, as he stepped into the pool.
As he went down he turned over and explored the cement wall of the pool with his hands. Midway, possibly ten feet under the surface, his hands encountered an opening in the wall. He boldly entered. There was a pipe and at the end of it a little room, and he could stand up.