e than she could endure, and the
part of the marriage service had been reached where the ring should
have been put on Mary's hand, when, to her amazement, she found it
was on her own finger.

"Katherine, Katherine, how soundly you sleep, dear! Wake up, we
are quite late this morning!" said Mrs. Burton, and Katherine
opened her tired, heavy eyes to find that Beth and Lotta were
enjoying a lively pillow fight on the other bed, and that their
mother was already half-dressed.

For one moment she lay weakly wishing that she had not to rise to
work, to struggle, and to endure; but the next minute found her out
of bed and thrusting her face into a basin of cold water, which is,
after all, the very best way of gathering up a little courage.

When she was dressed and out in the fresh air things did not look
so bad. Mrs. Burton might have been quite mistaken in thinking
that Mary cared for Jervis Ferrars. In the broad light of the
sunshiny morning the very idea seemed absurd. The rich man's
daughter had a wide circle to choose from; it was scarcely likely
that her choice would fall on a poor man, whose position was little
removed from that of a Hudson Bay fisherman.

Of course it was absurd! Mrs. Burton must have had a sentimental
streak on last night, and she herself was uncommonly foolish to
have been made so miserable for nothing at all.

When Katherine reached this point in her musings her laughter rang
out again, the future brightened up, and she was ready to face
anything the day might bring. Happiness is such a great factor in
one's life; and when that is secured it is easy to make light of
the ordinary ills, troubles, cares, and vexations which are sure to
crop up even in the smoothest kind of existence. But she meant to
watch very closely for some sign which might guide her in gaining
an insight into Mary's heart. She must make absolutely certain
that Mrs. Burton was wrong. It was not easy to see just how she
would be able to do this; but it must be done, of course it must be
done!

The day passed in a feverish round of incessant work. One hour
Katherine was happy as of old, the next hour she was horribly
heartsick and oppressed. But it never once occurred to her that
the reason for this was her exhausted condition from loss of rest
on the previous night.

In the evening Jervis came up from Seal Cove, sat and talked with
'Duke Radford for half an hour, then asked Katherine to come and
walk with him i