be founded as a permanency."

"Oh, I am in no hurry," said Evelyn, carelessly. "Things will get along
at home well enough without me. Didn't I tell you that, once those girls
began to go, they would go, like lightning? It is rough on Blanche,
though, that Truda should come next. By-the-way, in any case, Brand, I
must remain in America for your wedding."

"Oh, you will, will you?" said Brand. "Then that settles one point--you
won't be going back very soon."

"Why?"

"Of course, Natalie and I won't marry until she is of age; that is a
good year and a half yet. Did you hear of Calabressa's mad proposal that
he should extort from Lind his consent to our marriage as the price of
the good news that he, Calabressa, had to reveal? Like him, wasn't it?
an ingenious scheme."

"What did you say?"

"Why, what could I say? I would not be put under any obligation to Lind
on any account whatever. We can wait; it is not a long time."

The moonlight waned, and there was another light slowly declaring itself
in the east. The two friends continued talking, and did not notice how
that the cold blue light beyond the sea was gradually yielding to a
silver-gray. The pilot and first mate, who were on the bridge, had just
been joined by the captain.

The silver-gray in its turn gave place to a clear yellow, and high up
one or two flakes of cloud became of a saffron-red. Then the burning
edge of the sun appeared over the waves; the world lightened; the masts
and funnels of the steamer caught the glory streaming over from the
east. The ship seemed to waken also; one or two stragglers came tumbling
up from below, rubbing their eyes, and staring strangely around them;
but as yet no land was in sight.

The sunrise now flooded the sky and the sea; the number of those on deck
increased; and at last there was an eager passing round of binoculars,
and a murmur of eager interest. Those with sharp eyes enough could make
out, right ahead, in the midst of the pale glow of the morning, a thin
blue line of coast.

The great steamer surged on through the sunlit waters. And now even
those who were without glasses could distinguish, here and there along
that line of pale-blue land, a touch of yellowish-white; and they
guessed that the new world there was already shining with the light of
the new day. Brand felt a timid, small hand glide into his. Natalie was
standing beside him, her beautiful black hair a trifle dishevelled,
perhaps, and her eyes