tom, ma'am, though it's odd he couldn't
keep up for the few minutes it took to launch the boat; but I suppose
the wheel must have struck him. By the way," he added, as if struck by a
sudden thought, "I don't know yet who it was. I must have the crew
mustered on deck and see who is missing."

He proceeded to do so at once, when to the surprise of all it was
discovered that no one was missing.

"A stowaway, evidently!" growled the captain, "and he's got his
desserts; though I wouldn't have let him drown if I could have helped
it."

At that instant a light broke upon Edward Travilla and Dr. Conley, and
both turned hastily toward their guest, Mr. Ronald Lilburn.

He was sitting near, quietly listening to the talk, his features
expressing grave concern, yet they could perceive a sparkle of fun in
his eye.

Edward stepped to his side, and, bending down over him, spoke in an
undertone close to his ear. "I think you could tell us something of the
man, Cousin Ronald."

"I, laddie? What would I ken o' the folk i' this part o' the world?"
queried the old gentleman, raising his eyebrows in mock surprise.

"Ah, sir, who is to say he belonged to this part of the world?" laughed
Edward. "I must own that I strongly suspect he was a countryman of
yours; a Scotchman, at least."

Then going to the side of his wife he said a word or two in an undertone
that chased away her tears, while she sent a laughing glance in Cousin
Ronald's direction.

But they were drawing near their journey's end, and presently everything
else seemed to be forgotten in gazing upon the ever changing beauties of
the landscape as they threaded their way through lake and lakelet, past
swamp, forest, plain, and plantation. They gazed with delight upon the
cool, shady dells carpeted with a rich growth of flowers, miles upon
miles of smoothly shaven lawns, velvety green and shaded by magnificent
oaks and magnolias, lordly villas peering through groves of orange
trees, tall white sugarhouses, and the long rows of cabins of the
laborers, forming all together a panorama of surpassing loveliness.

"Oh, it is an earthly paradise, is it not, Ned?" cried Zoe, clasping her
hands in an ecstacy of delight.

"Very, very beautiful," he responded, his eyes shining with pleasure.
"But you know this is not, like yours, my first sight of it; I spent a
very happy winter here in the days when my dear and honored father was
with us."

"And I," said his sister Elsie, softly