d Jim. "After
me. I'm first choice."

"A dance led, so to speak, by the elusive Monsieur Chatelard?"

The name alone made Jimmy wroth. "It's a dance for which he will pay
the fiddler yet!" he prophesied.

"Oh, he's gone this time. Scared out of the country for keeps!" was
Aleck's expressed opinion. But that it might or might not be so, was
what they all secretly thought.

The day before the wedding was a jewel of a day, such as New England at
her best can fling into the lap of early autumn. A wind from the sea,
flocks of white cloud scudding across the sapphire sky, and a sun all
kindness--such was the day. It was never a "weather breeder" either;
but steady, promising good for the morrow.

Many times during the week James and Chamberlain and Agatha had their
heads together, planning surprises for the bridal pair. The result was
that on Tuesday Jim and Chamberlain borrowed the white motor-car,
loaded it down with a large variety of junk, such as food from Sallie's
kitchen, flowers and so on, and started for Charlesport. They ran down
to the wharf, transferred their loot to the rowboat, and pulled out to
the _Sea Gull_, swinging at her mooring in deep water.

A half-hour of work, and the yacht was dressed for festival. There
were strings of flags to stretch from bow to masthead and to stern;
pennants for topmasts; the Stars and Stripes in beautiful silk for a
standard, and a gorgeous banner with an embroidered A and M
intertwined, for special occasions. Flowers were placed in the cabins,
and food in the lockers. The seamen had been aboard, made the yacht
clean and shipshape as a war vessel on parade, and had got permission
to leave for their last night ashore. Everything was in readiness,
even to the laying of the fire in the engine hold.

The bride and groom were to come aboard the next day about noon, and
cruise down the coast leisurely, as weather permitted. Hand, in charge
of the white motor-car, with Madame Reynier, Chamberlain, Agatha and
Jimmy, were to start for New York, touring as long as their inclination
lasted. The sophisticated Lizzie was to travel to what was, for her,
the center of the universe, by the fastest Pullman.

Jimmy and Chamberlain, on the way home from their visit to the _Sea
Gull_, came very near being confidential.

"I want to say, Mr. Hambleton, that I shall never forgive myself for
bungling about that Chatelard business."

"As I understand the matter, it wasn't you