r to-night her mood
verged on the morbid.

"Sometimes, but not often, when people are as healthy as we are,"
Katherine replied with a laugh; then, slipping her hand through
Mary's arm, with a persuasive touch she drew her homeward. "Come!
People who have to get up and work in the morning must go to bed at
night, or suffer next day. I am fearfully sleepy, and to-morrow I
have to go over to Fort Garry with all those furs which your father
did not buy."

"I too must be at work in good time, for I want to be at Seal Cove
before ten o'clock, and that does not leave much space for one's
housekeeping duties," Mary said, in a brighter tone, as the two
came down the hill together.

"Let Mr. Selincourt keep house while you are so busy, or, better
still, get Nellie to do what you want; she will be delighted,"
urged Katherine, who was disposed to the belief that Mary's morbid
mood was largely the result of fatigue.

"Oh, Mrs. Burton is more than kind in making bread for me, and all
that sort of thing; while, as everyone knows, my father spoils me
all the time! But I like work, and just now I feel as if I could
hardly have too much of it; so I don't mind how long Mr. Ferrars
stays away at the fishing at the Twins," Mary said. Then, bidding
Katherine good night at the foot of the hill, she got into her boat
and was rowed across the river.

Katherine shook her head a little doubtfully as she went indoors;
for in her heart she did not echo the other's last words.

CHAPTER XXVI

Fighting the Storm

The summer had been one of such almost unvarying fine weather that
the next morning's outlook came as a disagreeable surprise to
Katherine. The sun shone with a pale, watery gleam, grey clouds
were piled along the horizon, and a moaning wind crept through the
pine trees, made the birch leaves quiver, and thinned the foliage
of the alders at the foot of the rapids.

"Phil, we shall have to be quick this morning, or we shall have to
come crawling home round the shore instead of rowing straight
across the bay," Katherine said, as she piled bundles of pelts into
the boat, and tied over them a canvas sheet, for security from any
chance wave.

"Oh, we can hustle, and very likely the storm won't break before
night!" Phil said easily.

"More likely that it will break before noon," retorted Miles, who
was helping to bring out the pelts from the stockroom. "Don't go
to-day, Katherine; it is fearful work crossing from Fort G