ock, I believe."

"I suppose she is accustomed to get up at that hour," remarked the
other, as if the fact involved a good deal of disparagement. And then
they were all silent, and watched Lois, who was slowly and
unconsciously approaching her reviewers. Her hands were again full of
different gleanings from the wonderful wilderness in which she had been
exploring; and she came with a slow step, still busy with them as she
walked. Her hat had fallen back a little; the beautiful hair was a
trifle disordered, showing so only the better its rich abundance and
exquisite colour; the face it framed and crowned was fair and flushed,
intent upon her gains from rock and meadow--for there was a little bit
of meadow ground at Appledore;--and so happy in its sweet absorption,
that an involuntary tribute of homage to its beauty was wrung from the
most critical. Lois walked with a light, steady step; her careless
bearing was free and graceful; her dress was not very fashionable, but
entirely proper for the place; all eyes consented to this, and then all
eyes came back to the face. It was so happy, so pure, so unconscious
and unshadowed; the look was of the sort that one does not see in the
assemblies of the world's pleasure-seekers; nor ever but in the faces
of heaven's pleasure-finders. She was a very lovely vision, and somehow
all the little group on the piazza with one consent kept silence,
watching her as she came. She drew near with busy, pleased thoughts,
and leisurely happy steps, and never looked up till she reached the
foot of the steps leading to the piazza. Nor even then; she had picked
up her skirt and mounted several steps daintily before she heard her
name and raised her eyes. Then her face changed. The glance of
surprise, it is true, was immediately followed by a smile of civil
greeting; but the look of rapt happiness was gone; and somehow nobody
on the piazza felt the change to be flattering. She accepted quietly
Tom's hand, given partly in greeting, partly to assist her up the last
steps, and faced the group who were regarding her.

"How delightful to find you here, Miss Lothrop!" said Julia,--"and how
strange that people should meet on the Isles of Shoals."

"Why is it strange?"

"O, because there is really nothing to come here for, you know. I don't
know how we happen to be here ourselves.--Mr. Lenox, Miss
Lothrop.--What have you found in this desert?"

"You have been spoiling Appledore?" added Tom.

"I don't