e declaimed, with energy. "It would be nothing short of
criminal, Mr Carey."

She argued the point with eloquence, even excitedly; and when she had
brought him to reason--very willing to be brought--leaned back in her
chair with a joyous air.

"Oh, we will arrange it!" she reassured him. "There are plenty of ways.
I'll tell you"--bending forward again and gazing earnestly into eyes
from which something that had been looking out of them seemed to have
drawn back hastily--"you shall introduce me to her, and I will bring
him away up here for a visit. He ought to be in the country in summer,
and he will come with me, I know, and won't miss her after a couple of
days. I can get you a nurse cheap from some of the selectors, and one
more or less makes not the slightest difference in a house like this;
and I will take care of him for you until you come back next voyage, or
for just as long as you will trust him to me. So the difficulty will
solve itself without any fuss. Do you see?"

Guthrie Carey felt unable to reply. He could only murmur again and
again: "You are awfully good, Miss Urquhart. 'Pon my word, you are too
good altogether." Later, he declared more firmly that he could not
think of troubling her.

"Nonsense!" she returned lightly. "It is all settled."

CHAPTER III.

Decidedly he was a coward, with all his brawn and inches; for he dared
not protest straight-forwardly that all was not settled. He certainly
told himself that he did not know what to do, but he also told himself
that he would be a fool to do practically the same thing that he had
done before. He passed a sleepless night, poor fellow, cogitating the
matter; and in the morning, when the moon was gone, saw clearly himself
where the path of prudence lay. Still he lacked courage to make it
clear to Miss Urquhart, even while he saw her laying out, with
enthusiasm, that road of her own which his terrified imagination
pictured her marching along presently, bearing the baby aloft in her
arms, and dragging him on a dog-chain behind her. It was not until
mid-day that he suddenly became a brave man--about five minutes after
the arrival of Deborah Pennycuick.

She rode over from Redford, all by herself, as her frequent custom was,
to see how Five Creeks was getting on, and to talk over plans for
Christmas. She wore a brown holland habit over the most beautifully
moulded form, and, entering the house, tossed aside a shady hat from
the most beautiful