"What can they want there?"

"Oh, very likely they have gone in to rest. You know North lives there
when he comes on the island to fish or shoot."

"What! Mr. North, he live there and never tell me! I thought he was a
perfect stranger on the island."

"As to that," answered Hawkins, a little startled by her earnestness,
"he only comes down for a day now and then. It's nothing permanent, I
assure you."

"There! there! they have gone in!" exclaimed the lady. "I wonder where
Elsie is; I must tell Elsie."

"Why, what nonsense!" answered Hawkins, with some spirit; "can't Mrs.
Mellen step into a house to rest herself a moment without troubling her
friends so terribly?"

"Just be quiet, Hawkins, you don't know what you are talking about,"
answered the lady, keeping her gaze fastened on the tavern. "Turn an eye
on the house while I look at the time. It must be five minutes since
they went in. Dear, dear, what a world we live in!"

Mrs. Harrington kept the little enamelled watch, sparkling with
diamonds, in her ungloved hand full ten minutes, only glancing from it
to the door of the tavern in her vigilance. At the end of that time Mr.
North and his companion came out of the house and disappeared in the
undergrowth which lay between that and the precipice.

Mrs. Harrington watched some time for them to appear again, but her
curiosity was baffled, and her attention soon directed to other objects.
At last she was aroused by Elsie coming suddenly upon the ledge,
flushed, panting for breath and glowing with anger. She turned upon
Hawkins like a spiteful mockingbird.

"A pretty escort you are, Mr. Hawkins, to leave a lady all alone in the
woods. I declare, Mrs. Harrington, he lost me in one of those dreadful
ravines, and I scrambled up the wrong bank and have been wandering
everywhere, climbing rocks and tiring myself to death. Only think of
dragging this long skirt over my arm and tearing my way through the
bushes. I heard the servants laugh and that guided me, or I might have
been roaming the woods now."

"My poor dear," said the widow, full of compassion, "how heated and
wearied you look! Hawkins, can't you find something to fan her with?"

Hawkins broke off a branch full of leaves and offered to fan her with
it. But she snatched it out of his hand and flung it over the precipice.

"Where is Elizabeth? Go tell Elizabeth I wish to speak with her, if you
want to make up with me."

"We have not seen Mrs. Mellen since y