erence," said Rast. "And besides, I like the
right hand; it means more."

Rast did not admire the old-fashioned ring, but to Anne it was both
beautiful and sacred. She gazed at it with a lovely light in her eyes,
and an earnest thoughtfulness. Any one could see how gravely she
regarded the little ceremony.

When they came back to the house, Dr. Gaston was already there, and Pere
Michaux was limping up the path from the gate. He caught sight of Rast
and Anne together. "Check!" he said to himself. "So much for being a
stupid old man. Outwitted yesterday by a rolling stone, and to-day by
your own inconceivable dullness. And you gave away your watch--did
you?--to prevent what has happened! The girl has probably bound herself
formally, and now you will have her conscience against you as well as
all the rest. Bah!"

But while thinking this, he came forward and greeted them all happily
and cheerfully, whereas the old chaplain, who really had no especial
objection to the engagement, was cross and silent, and hardly greeted
anybody. He knew that he was ill-tempered, and wondered why he should
be. "Anything unexpected is apt to disturb the mind," he remarked,
apologetically, to the priest, taking out his handkerchief and
rubbing his forehead violently, as if to restore equanimity by
counter-circulation. But however cross or quiet the others might be,
Miss Lois beamed for all; she shed forth radiance like Roman candles
even at that early hour, when the air was still chill and the sky gray
with mist. The boys came down stairs with their clothes half on, and
then Rast said good-by, and hurried down to the pier, and they all stood
together on the old piazza, and watched the steamer back out into the
stream, turn round, and start westward, the point of the island soon
hiding it from view. Then Dr. Gaston took his unaccountable ill temper
homeward, Pere Michaux set sail for the hermitage, Anne sat down to sew,
and only Miss Lois let every-day life take care of itself, and cried on.

"I know there will be no more storms," she said; "it isn't that. But it
is everything that has happened, Anne dear: the engagement, and the
romance of it all!"

Tita now entered: she had not appeared before. She required that fresh
coffee should be prepared for her, and she obtained it. For the Irish
soldier's wife was almost as much afraid of her as the boys were. She
glanced at Miss Lois's happy tears, at Anne's ruby ring, at the general
disorder.