as a
little satisfied.

"Reckon you might call us that, me and Eph; we've lived here for five
years now, taking care of the island--ever since your pa bought it."

"Eph is your husband?"

"That's him--Ephraim Clover."

"And--doesn't he do anything else but--caretake?"

"Lord bless you, he don't even do that; I'm the caretaker_ess_. Eph
don't do nothing but potter round with the motor-boat and go to town for
supplies and fish a little and 'tend to the garden and do the chores
and--"

"I should think he must keep pretty busy."

"Busy? Him? Eph? Lord! he's the busiest thing you ever laid your eyes
on--poking round doing nothing at all."

"And does nobody ever come here ...?"

"Nobody but the boss."

"Does he often--?"

"That's as may be and the fit's on him. He comes and goes, just as he
feels like. Sometimes he's on and off the island half a dozen times a
week, and again we don't hear nothing of him for months; sometimes he
just stops here for days and mebbe weeks, and again he's here one minute
and gone the next. Jumps round like a flea on a griddle, _I_ say; you
can't never tell nothing about what he's going to do or where he'll be
next.... My land o' mercy, Mr. Searle! What a start you did give me!"

The man had succeeded in startling both women, as a matter of fact.
Eleanor, looking suddenly up from her plate on hearing Mrs. Clover's cry
of surprise, saw him lounging carelessly in the hall doorway, where he
had appeared as noiselessly as a shadow. His sly, satiric smile was
twisting his thin lips, and a sardonic humour glittered in the pale eyes
that shifted from Eleanor's face to Mrs. Clover's, and back again.

"I wish," he said, nodding to the caretaker, "you'd slip down to the
dock and tell Eph to have the boat ready by seven o'clock."

"Yes, sir," assented Mrs. Clover hastily. She crossed at once toward the
outer door. From her tone and the alacrity with which she moved to do
his bidding, no less than from the half-cringing look with which she met
his regard, Eleanor had no difficulty in divining her abject fear of
this man whom she could, apparently, have taken in her big hands and
broken in two without being annoyed by his struggles.

"And, here!" he called after her--"supper ready?"

"Yes, sir--quite."

"Very well; I'll have mine. Eph can come up as soon as he's finished
overhauling the motor. Wait a minute; tell him to be sure to bring the
oars up with him."

"Yes, sir, I will, sir."