e summer's eggs had been packed in soft sand, and took
out one apiece for the assembled company. He packed the oven with large
potatoes. He put on an excellent supply of tea to boil. The travellers,
who, in fact, had had their ordinary breakfast some hours before, made
but feeble remonstrances against these preparations, remonstrances which
only caused Bates to make more ample provision. He brought out a large
paper bag labelled, "patent self-raising pancake meal," and a small
piece of fat pork. Here he was obliged to stop and confess himself in
need of culinary skill; he looked at the men, not doubting that he could
obtain it from them.

"The Philadelphian can do it better," said one. This was corroborated by
the others. "Call Harkness," they cried, and at the same time they
called Harkness themselves.

The young American opened the door and came in in a very leisurely, not
to say languid, manner. He took in the situation at a glance without
asking a question. "But," said he, "are we not to wait for the
intelligent young lady? Female intelligence can make the finer pancake."

The surveyors manifested some curiosity. "What do you know about a young
lady?" they asked.

"The young lady of the house," replied Harkness. "Hasn't
_he"_--referring to Bates--"told you all about her? The domestic
divinity who has just happened to get mislaid this morning. I saw him
looking over the wood pile to see if she had fallen behind it, but she
hadn't."

"It is only a few days since her father died," said the senior of the
party gravely.

"And so," went on the young man, "she has very properly given these few
days to inconsolable grief. But now our visit is just timed to comfort
and enliven her, _why_ is she not here to be comforted and enlivened?"

No-one answered, and, as the speaker was slowly making his way toward
the frying-pan, no one seemed really apprehensive that he would keep
them waiting. The youth had an oval, almost childish face; his skin was
dark, clear, and softly coloured as any girl's; his hair fell in black,
loose curls over his forehead. He was tall, slender without being thin,
very supple; but his languid attitudes fell short of grace, and were
only tolerable because they were comic. When he reached out his hand for
the handle of the frying-pan he held the attention of the whole company
by virtue of his office, and his mind, to Bates's annoyance, was still
running on the girl.

"Is she fond of going out walk