got from the ship in the harbor saying she had
come before her time, and how he had hastened down, and into the
boat, and across the bay, and aboard, with a secret trembling lest
the years might have so changed her as to take something from her
beauty, or her sweetness, or her goodness, or yet the bounding
playfulness that was half the true girl's charm. But, oh, the
delicious undeceiving of that day, when, coming face to face with her
again, he saw the rosy tint in her cheek and the little delicate
dimple sucked into it when she smiled, and the light footstep, and
the grace of motion, and the swelling throat, and the heaving bosom
and the quivering lids over the most glorious eyes that ever shone
upon this earth! So, at least, it had seemed to him then, and still
it seemed so as his ship sailed home.

At Smoky Point they lay off an hour or two to take in letters for the
capital, and there intelligence had come aboard of the arrest, trial,
and condemnation of Jason for his design and attempt upon the life of
the President. Michael Sunlocks had been greatly startled and deeply
moved by the news, and called on the master to weigh the anchor
without more delay than was necessary, because he had now a double
reason for wishing to be back in Reykjavik.

And being at length landed there he galloped up to Government House,
bounded indoors with the thought of his soul speaking out of his
eyes, and found Greeba there and every one of his sweetest visions
realized. All his hundred tender, foolish, delicious names he called
her over again, but with better ears to hear them, while he enfolded
her in his arms, with both her own about his neck, and her beautiful
head nestling close over his heart, and her fluttering breast against
his breast.

"Dearest," he whispered, "my darling, love of my life, however could
I leave you so long?"

"Michael," she whispered back, "if you say any more I shall be
crying."

But the words were half smothered by sobs, for she was crying
already. Seeing this, he sheered off on another tack, telling her of
his mission in search of her father, and that if he had not brought
the good man back, at least he had brought good news of him, and
saying that they were both to start to-morrow for Thingvellir with
the certainty of meeting him and bringing him home with great
rejoicings.

"And now, my love, I have a world of things to attend to before I can
go," said Michael Sunlocks, "and you have to prepare