in time for the
steamer; it will do quite as well."

The old men, without comment either of mind or tongue, patiently rowed
her back down the river.

When they reached the point, Margaret, after charging them to be
punctual, dismissed them, and walked up the path alone towards the
house. No lights were visible anywhere. There was a young moon, and she
looked at her watch, it was not yet nine o'clock; Mr. Moore had
apparently gone to bed at a very early hour.

The truth was that during all this visit of his on the river Mr. Moore
had kept much later hours than he was in the habit of keeping at home.
At home Penelope, who believed that he needed a great deal of sleep, was
in the habit of saying, about ten o'clock, "Now, Middleton--" And
Middleton, as Dr. Kirby once expressed it, always "now'd."

On the present occasion, after partaking of the supper which Dinah had
prepared for him, he had sent the old woman to her home; then,
remembering that he had a week of arrears to make up, he had gone to his
room, though there was still a gleam of sunset in the west.

Margaret understood what had happened, she determined that she would not
disturb him; probably it would not be difficult to find a way into the
house. As she had expected, among the numerous windows on the
ground-floor she found one which she could raise; light and lithe, she
easily effected an entrance, and stole on tiptoe to a room up-stairs in
the south wing, where she knew there was a lounge whose pillows had been
left in place. She had her travelling-bag with her, but she did not
intend to undress; she would take what sleep she could on the lounge
until dawn, covered by her travelling shawl. But she was more weary than
she knew, and nature was kind that night at least; very soon she fell
asleep.

The figure she had seen on the shore, was, as she had thought, that of
Evert Winthrop. He had come back.

It might have been that he did not consider a return to the river
prohibited, so long as he did not go down to the house on the point;
there was no law, certainly, against a man's travelling where he
pleased. He had not been down to the house on the point, he had stayed
at the hotel all day. He had seen her trunks when they arrived, and he
knew from their being there that she must be expecting to take the next
morning's steamer, northward-bound; was she coming herself to the hotel
to sleep? After a while he made the inquiry; his tone was careless, he
asked