to take my hand, saying coldly, 'I shall have nothing to say
to you for the present; your conduct is highly displeasing to me.'

I felt the blood rush to my cheeks, as he did not lower his voice, and
all in the room heard his words; then I left the room slowly, like a
naughty child being sent off to bed in disgrace. Nelly came rushing
upstairs after me, and linked her arm in mine.

'Never mind, Hilda. You see father is never accustomed to have any one
oppose him, and he cannot understand you. You are a bold little thing,
to say what you do to him. Now tell me what conspiracy was going on
between you and Captain Gates this evening? He is asking mother if we
can have a picnic on the river to-morrow. Constance and Mr. Stroud are
delighted, and mother has given her consent. Mother says she won't
start with us, but may join us later in the day. He said we had better
have three boats; but I wonder how we are going to pair off. I am not
always going to be coupled with Kenneth, he and I are sure to fight.
And I know Captain Gates will have you with him if he can manage it; he
follows you about everywhere. Constance and Mr. Stroud are
inseparable, and no one takes any notice of me!'

'Oh, Nelly, how you run on!' I exclaimed, half laughing, half vexed.
'I dare say I shall not go with you.'

'But you must; it will be great fun. Well, good night; I must be
going.'

CHAPTER V

OPPORTUNITIES

'Draw through all failure to the perfect flower;
Draw through all darkness to the perfect light.
Yea, let the rapture of Thy spring-tide thrill
Through me, beyond me, till its ardour fill
The ungrowing souls that know not Thee aright,
That Thy great love may make of me, e'en me,
One added link to bind the world to Thee.'--_E. S. A._

We had a very enjoyable day up the river, Violet begged a holiday, and
came with us. We had only two boats--Constance, Violet, and Mr. Stroud
in one, and Nelly, Kenneth, Captain Gates, and I in the other. We took
our lunch with us, and landed in a wood that came down to the water's
edge. And after our meal was over Captain Gates asked me to come for a
stroll through the woods with him. I did not feel inclined to do this
at first, yet hardly liked to refuse, and it was not long before he
turned our conversation towards serious subjects.

'I looked into a Bible which was in my room last night, Miss Thorn, but
I couldn't see anything in it to make me wish to alter my lif