e knew that the Camerons were going to adopt Nora Shelley
and take her away with them. There was much surprise and more envy.
The shore women tossed their heads.

"Reckon Nora is in great feather," they said. "She always did think
herself better than anyone else. Nate Shelley and his wife spoiled her
ridiculous. Wonder what Rob Fletcher thinks of it?"

Nora asked her brother to tell the news to Rob Fletcher himself, but
Merran Andrews was before him. She was at Rob before he had fairly
landed, when the fishing boats came in at sunset.

"Have you heard the news, Rob? Nora's going away to be a fine lady.
The Camerons have been daft about her all summer, and now they are
going to adopt her."

Merran wanted Rob herself. He was a big, handsome fellow, and
well-off--the pick of the harbour men in every way. He had slighted
her for Nora, and it pleased her to stab him now, though she meant to
be nice to him later on.

He turned white under his tan, but he did not choose to make a book of
his heart for Merran's bold black eyes to read. "It's a great thing
for her," he answered calmly. "She was meant for better things than
can be found at Racicot."

"She was always too good for common folks, if that is what you mean,"
said Merran spitefully.

Nora and Rob did not meet until the next evening, when she rowed
herself home from Dalveigh. He was at the shore to tie up her boat and
help her out. They walked up the sands together in the heart of the
autumn sunset, with the northwest wind whistling in their ears and the
great star of the lighthouse gleaming wanly out against the golden
sky. Nora felt uncomfortable, and resented it. Rob Fletcher was
nothing to her; he never had been anything but the good friend to whom
she told her strange thoughts and longings. Why should her heart ache
over him? She wished he would talk, but he strode along in silence,
with his fine head drooping a little.

"I suppose you have heard that I am going away, Rob?" she said at
last.

He nodded. "Yes, I've heard it from a hundred mouths, more or less,"
he answered, not looking at her.

"It's a splendid thing for me, isn't it?" dared Nora.

"Well, I don't know," he said slowly. "Looking at it from the outside,
it seems so. But from the inside it mayn't look the same. Do you
think you'll be able to cut twenty years of a life out of your heart
without any pain?"

"Oh, I'll be homesick, if that is what you mean," said Nora
petulantly. "Of course