the
sooner she became hardened to the pain the better for her peace of
mind.

"Oh, the usual things! Mrs. M'Kree said she thought they would
make a lovely pair: for though Mary isn't pretty, she is very
distinguished; and Mr. Ferrars has a way of carrying himself which
makes me think he must come from a very good family indeed. I
noticed that Mary's manner was very different to him to-day, and
from the way he treated her it looked almost as if they had come to
an understanding." Mrs. Burton's air was one of beaming
satisfaction now, for she liked Jervis Ferrars quite well enough to
be glad there was a chance of his marrying a rich wife, and so
being lifted out of the fierce struggle with narrow means.

Katherine's heart felt sick and cold within her. She remembered
what Mary had said about the boon asked by Jervis, which had been
denied, and the denial regretted ever since. Probably that rescue
from the tidehole had given Jervis the courage and the right to ask
his boon again, and this time Mary would know her own heart too
well to refuse happiness, even though it came to her at the hands
of a poor man.

She was glad to turn out early next morning and go with Phil to do
the "back-ache" portage, because it took her away from any
likelihood of an encounter with Mary, who would probably be
brimming over with happiness.

"It is quite natural that she should feel like that, and I am very
glad for her," Katherine announced to herself in a defiant tone, as
she loaded packages of groceries and bundles of dry goods on to the
dogs in the morning, for them to carry over the portage to the
boathouse above the falls.

It never once occurred to her that she could have made a mistake,
or that she had jumped to wrong conclusions in the matter. She was
so used to making up her mind on all sorts of subjects without any
waste of time, that naturally she decided she was right in this
thing also. The dogs trotted up the portage path with a hearty
goodwill, for they had the sense to know that the journey was not a
long one and that their work would soon be over. There were only
three of them this morning, for Hero was at the house over the
river.

Katherine and Phil followed the dogs. They also carried burdens,
and, as the portage path was steep, they were glad not to waste
their breath in talking while they toiled up the hill. The last
dog, which walked just in front of Katherine, carried two wooden
boxes, filled with