r him, but I
thought better of Dr. Leslie than this. I cannot understand his
indulgence of such a silly notion."

George Gerry felt very uncomfortable. He had been a good deal shocked,
but he had a strong impulse to rush into the field as Nan's champion,
though it were quite against his conscience. She had been too long in
a humdrum country-town with no companion but an elderly medical man.
And after a little pause he made a trifling joke about their making
the best of the holiday, and the talk was changed to other subjects.
The tide was strong against our heroine, but she had been assailed
before, and had no idea of sorrowing yet over a lost cause. And for
once Miss Prince was in a hurry for Mr. Gerry to go away.

XVII

BY THE RIVER

As Nan went down the street next morning with Captain Parish, who had
been most prompt in keeping his appointment, they were met by Mr.
Gerry and a young girl who proved to be Captain Parish's niece and the
bearer of a cordial invitation. It would be just the evening for a
boat-party, and it was hoped that Miss Prince the younger would be
ready to go up the river at half-past five.

"Dear me, yes," said the captain; "your aunt will be pleased to have
you go, I'm sure. These idle young folks mustn't expect us to turn
back now, though, to have a visit from you. We have no end of business
on hand."

"If Miss Prince will remember that I was really on my way to see her,"
said Mary Parish pleasantly, while she looked with eager interest at
the stranger. The two girls were quite ready to be friends. "We will
just stop to tell your aunt, lest she should make some other plan for
you," she added, giving Nan a nod that was almost affectionate. "We
have hardly used the boats this year, it has been such a cold, late
spring, and we hope for a very good evening. George and I will call
for you," and George, who had been listening to a suggestion about the
ship business, smiled with pleasure as they separated.

"Nice young people," announced the captain, who was in a sympathetic
mood. "There has been some reason for thinking that they meant to take
up with each other for good and all. I don't know that either of them
could do better, though I like the girl best; that's natural; she's my
brother's daughter, and I was her guardian; she only came of age last
year. Her father and yours were boys together, younger than I am by a
dozen years, both gone before me too," sighed the captain, and qui