gly in the din, "but that's to land!"

His reply was unheard, but a shake of his head reassured her as he moved
toward the elder Courteneys, whom bishop and judge had left, and who now
stood alone awaiting him. She faced Hugh. He was telling the actor's
wife that this landing was to get a physician. Ramsey touched him and
spoke low:

"We're going to have an awful time. Don't you think so?"

He did not say. The great bell tolled thrice. She waved him to look at
the people ashore, of all sorts and shades, coming down to the
wharf-boat to see them, but suddenly, invited by a glance from his
father, he stepped away to him. "Humph!" she laughed to old Joy, and
started to join her mother, who was leaving the deck. But the mother
motioned her back. "Where are you going?" whined Ramsey.

"To Lucian."

The daughter halted, aghast. "Has he got it?" But her mother went on
without reply. She turned to the players and, when they smiled
invitingly, rejoined them. When she inquired their name they said it was
Gilmore.

"Will you tell me about the _Quakeress_?" she asked.

The husband said he would. "But you don't mean now," he qualified, "when
so many things are happening?"

"N-no," she replied grudgingly, and presently added: "I'm afraid my
brother's got the cholera." But then she brightened triumphantly.
"Anyhow," she said, "the mate didn't know that." The engine bells
jingled, the wheels paused, and the shore appeared to drift down upon
them, pushing the crowded wharf-boat before it. "What d'you reckon this
beautiful boat is saying to herself right now?" she asked.

"She ought to say," critically put in the bishop, behind her, to the
senator, while she turned and cast her head-to-foot scrutiny up and down
the two, "that for the welfare of that wharf-boatful of men and boys,
and of the homes they live in, she'd best not land, after all."

"That's what she _is_ saying!" defensively cried Ramsey, and, sure
enough, while she laughed the scape-pipes roared and the wheels backed
till the wharf-boat stood still. At the same time the pilots changed
watch. The captain sauntered to the forward rail. The commodore, with
the mate and Hugh, went below. So closely did the actor's eyes follow
them that Ramsey asked: "What are they going to do?"

"Going ashore in the yawl, I hope, for a doctor."

"And medicines," added some one.

"And for a priest," disparagingly said the smiling bishop as they moved
to the shoreward edge of the ro