ind her, she was a striking figure, and in perfect harmony with the
surrounding magnificence. She reminded him of some picture of an angry
queen at bay--confronting her enemies. In her eyes and in her manner he
clearly read that she had resolved to know the truth. Moreover, she gave
at this moment a distinct impression of being a person of considerable
spirit. So, to allay her suspicions, which he could only guess at, he
related, after the briefest hesitation, all he had heard the night
before between the two sailors, repeating, as nearly as possible, what
the drunken man had said. When he had finished she replied, calmly, but
evidently repressing her indignation:

"Why did you not tell me this earlier?--on the boat, before it was too
late?"

"I did not suppose you would care to know. I attached very little
importance to it."

"Importance! I think I might have had some choice as to being landed in
the wilderness with you alone, or going on to your sisters."

Pats regarded her in a mild surprise. Her sudden anger was very real. He
answered, gently: "The man was so drunk he hardly knew what he was
saying. His companion, who probably knew him well, paid no attention to
his words."

"But _I_ should have paid attention to his words. And so would my
uncle, or any friend of mine, if he could have heard him."

Pats, taken aback at the new light in which he stood, retorted, with
some feeling:

"I hope you don't mean to say that I did this intentionally?"

"Then why did you keep such information so carefully to yourself?"

"Because when I woke up I found we were here--that is, as I supposed--at
Boyd's Island. Both the steward and the first officer told me so. My
only doubt when I went to bed was about our getting here. And this
morning here we were. It had come out all right, so far as I knew."

With a curl of her lip that expressed a world of incredulity, she
dropped into one of the chairs behind the table, and rested her chin
upon her hand.

In a lower tone, he continued:

"I have never been here before, and had no idea how it looked. Why
didn't Father Burke tell you this was not the place? He knows our
island."

"It was foggy. Nobody could see it; and he knew nothing of the warning
you were keeping to yourself."

Beneath this avalanche of contempt, Pats's feeble knees almost let him
to the floor.

"Miss Marshall, at least do me the justice to believe--"

"Would you mind leaving me for a time?"

Into his