_in honour_, Max, to avoid trying to win her affections, or in any
way to influence her till--till time, a considerable time--shall have
passed."

"I promise you, Lumley, with all my heart. I think it is ennobling to a
man to love a girl because of her pure and sterling qualities
irrespective of her looks, and I would count it foul disgrace to do
anything to win her unless I saw my way quite clearly to wed her."

"Which you do not at present, Max?"

"Which I do not at present, Lumley, so I will continue the lessons with
the air and manner of a heartless pedagogue!"

This having been arranged between us, the subject was dropped, and not
again referred to for many months.

Meanwhile winter advanced with rapid strides. One night an intense
frost set in and covered the entire lake, as far at least as we could
see, with a sheet of pure ice. It had set fast in a profound calm, and
the surface was so smooth that every tree and bush on the outlying
islets was reflected as if in water. Indeed, it could scarcely be told
that the ice was not water except by going on it.

Being a somewhat expert skater, and having brought my skates with me, I
put them on, resolved to enjoy a few hours of what used to be a
favourite amusement when I was a boy. Lumley could not skate, to my
regret; besides, he had no skates, and none of the men had ever learned
the art, so that I was forced to skate alone. And at this time I
learned a lesson about solitary amusement which I never afterwards
forgot.

"Max," said Lumley, as I went down to the lake, skates in hand, "while
you're off amusing yourself I'll go finish the track on the hillside--
that will afford amusement enough for me and the men. I'll give them a
holiday, as it is such a splendid day."

"That's a new kind of holiday," said I with a laugh, as I fixed on my
skates, "to set them to the finishing of a track!"

The track referred to was a straight wide cutting up the face of the
hill at the side of the fort. Lumley had ordered the men to clear it of
trees and shrubs, from the hill-top--which extended far behind as well
as high above the fort--down to the edge of the lake. It had remained
in this unfinished state for some time, and now, being covered with
snow, formed a long white-floored avenue to the hill-top.

"I'm sorry you can't join me," said I, making a few circles before
starting. "It feels _so_ selfish to go off alone."

"Never mind, old boy, off you go, and see