oke in the old man eagerly. "Master Bernard, ain't
it? That's right, sonny. That's right. Yes, come in! There! I never
thought to see you again. That I never did. This here's little missie
what comes regular to see my daughter-in-law as has been laid by this
week or more. I calls her our good angel," he ended tenderly. "She's been
the Lord's own blessing to us ever since she come."

Merefleet, thus invited, entered and sat down on a wooden chair by
the table. Old Quiller turned in also and fussed about him with the
solicitude that comes with age.

"No," he said meditatively, "I never thought to see you again, Master
Bernard. Why, it's twenty year come Michaelmas since you said 'Good-bye.'
And little miss was with you. Ah, dear! It do make me think of them days
to see you in the old place again. I always said as I'd never see the
match of little miss but this young lady, sir--she's just such another,
bless her."

Merefleet, with his eyes on the busy white hands at the table, smiled at
the eulogy.

The American girl glanced at him and laughed more softly than usual.
"Isn't he fine?" she said. "I just love that old man."

Somehow that peculiar voice of hers did not jar upon him quite so
painfully as he sat and watched her at her dexterous work. There was
something about her employment that revealed to him a side of her that
her frivolous manner would never have led him to suspect. While he talked
to the old fisherman, more than half his attention was centred on her
beautiful, innocent face.

"My!" she suddenly exclaimed, turning upon him with a dazzling smile. "I
reckon you'll almost be equal to beating up an egg yourself if you watch
long enough."

"Perhaps," said Merefleet.

She laughed gaily. "Are you coming along with Bert and me this afternoon
in Quiller's boat?" she inquired.

"I believed I have engaged Quiller to come and do the hard work for me,"
Merefleet said.

"You!" She was bending over the fire, stirring the beaten egg into a
saucepan. "Oh, you lazy old Bear!" she said reprovingly. "What good will
that do you?"

"I don't know that I want anything to do me good," Merefleet returned.
He had become almost genial under these unusual circumstances. It was
certainly no easy matter to keep this exceedingly sociable young lady at
a distance.

He was watching the warm colour rising in her face as she stooped over
the fire. He had never imagined that the art of cookery could be
conducted with so much of