eant. When finally its
meaning dawned upon him, he drew in a great breath.

"Oh!" he said in a wondering whisper. "I never was so happy in my
life!" It was not a very eloquent speech, it did not seem at all
relevant, but she seemed to understand. She glanced up for an instant
with a shy smile, and then Lawyer Ed with Mrs. Doasyouwouldbedoneby and
such a load of water-babies, that they looked as if they might sink
into their native caves, came shouting round the point, and bore down
upon them.

The sun was sinking into the island maze of Lake Algonquin and the moon
was coming up out of Lake Simcoe when the _Inverness_ sailed homeward
through the Gates. The little breeze that had danced all day out on
the larger lake had gone to sleep here in the shelter of the islands,
and Algonquin lay as still as a golden mirror. A faint shimmer of
colour was spread over it like a shining veil. It was scarcely
discernible where the crystal water lay motionless, but as the
_Inverness_ sailed across the delicate web it broke into waves of amber
and lilac and rose. The little islands did not seem to touch the water
but floated in the air like dream-islands, deep purple and bronze in
the shadows. From their depths arose vesper songs. Bob White's silver
whistle, clear and sweet, the White throat's long call of "Canada,
Canada, Canada," as though the little patriot could never tell all his
love and joy in his beautiful home, the loon's eery laugh far away down
the golden channel, and the whippoorwill and the cat-bird and the veery
in the tree-tops. It was a wonderful night.

As the sunset colours grew fainter, and the moon's silver brightened,
the passengers became quieter. The Piper went below and listened to
the Ancient Mariner spin a yarn, and let the birds along the shore
furnish music. The babies fell asleep in the arms of Mrs.
Doasyouwouldbedoneby, lovers drifted away in pairs to retired nooks.
In a quiet corner J. P. Thornton and Lawyer Ed sat and laid once more
their final plans for a trip to the Holy Land, certain this time of
their realisation. The older people sat by the wheel house and talked
of their younger days. Roderick left his father the centre of the
group, and went in search of Helen. He found her sitting in a
sheltered nook with Gladys. The Perkins baby had fallen asleep in her
arms, and as Roderick approached the younger girl lifted the baby to
carry him to his mother. He slipped into her seat by He