th himself and the world in
general. He was perfectly sober, so he afterwards decided, or on board
a rolling vessel he could never have succeeded in working out
quantities from rough sketches Thurston gave him. But he had
breakfasted with his friends, just before sailing, and the valedictory
potations had increased, instead of assuaging, his thirst.

The steamer was a fast one. The day was pleasant with the first warmth
of Spring, and Geoffrey sat under the lee of a deckhouse languidly
enjoying a cigar and looking out across the sparkling sea. Gillow, who
came up now and then for a breath of air, envied him each time he
returned to pore over papers that rose and fell perplexingly on one end
of the saloon table. It was hard to get his scale exactly on the lines
of the drawings; the sunrays that beat in through the skylights dazzled
his eyes, and his sight did not become much keener after each visit to
the bar. Nevertheless, few persons would have suspected English Jim of
alcoholic indulgence as he jotted down weights and quantities in his
pocket-book.

Meantime, Thurston began to find the view of the snow-clad Olympians
grow monotonous. It is true that every pinnacle was silhouetted, a
spire of unsullied whiteness, against softest azure. The peaks
towered, a sight to entrance the vision--ethereally majestic above a
cerulean sea--but Geoffrey had seen rather too much snow unpleasantly
close at hand within the last few months. Therefore, he opened the
newspaper beside him, and frowned to see certain rumors he had heard in
Victoria embodied in an article on the Crown lands policy. Anyone with
sufficient knowledge to read between the lines could identify the
writer's instances of how gross injustice might be done the community
with certain conditional grants made to Savine.

"That man has been well posted. He may have been influenced by a
mistaken public spirit or quite possibly by a less praiseworthy motive;
but if we have any more bad breakdowns I can foresee trouble," Geoffrey
said to himself.

Then he turned his eyes towards the groups of passengers, and presently
started at the sight of a lady carrying a camp chair, a book, and a
bundle of wrappings along the heaving deck. It was Millicent Leslie,
and there was no doubt that she had recognized him, for she had set
down her burden and was waiting for his assistance. Geoffrey was at
her side in a moment and presently ensconced her snugly under the lee
of