charming view,--the shores, broken by red-roofed villas and cottages
rising from clouds of leafy greenery; the Torpedo Island with its tall
flag-staff and floating banner over the dwelling of the Commandant; Fort
Adams, whose steep glacis seemed powdered with snow just then from the
multitude of daisies in bloom upon them; the light-houses; the soft
rises of hill; and beyond, the shimmering heave of the open sea.
Cat-boats and yachts flitted past in the fair wind like large
white-winged moths; row-boats filled with pleasure-parties dipped their
oars in the wake of the "Eolus;" steam-launches with screeching whistles
were putting into their docks, among old boat-houses and warehouses,
painted dull-red, or turned of a blackish gray by years of exposure to
weather. Behind rose Newport, with the graceful spire of Trinity Church
and the long bulk of the Ocean House surmounting the quaint buildings on
the lower hill. The boat was heading toward a wharf, black with
carriages, which were evidently drawn up to wait the arrival of the
"Eolus."

"There's Mrs. Gray's team now, Miss," said the sharp-eyed Captain; "come
down for you, I reckon."

The two girls glanced at her and then at each other. They shrugged their
shoulders, and Candace heard one of them whisper,--

"Did you ever?" and the reply, "No; but after all, we didn't say
anything very bad, and who would have dreamed that a hat like that had
anything to do with the Grays?"

She felt herself blush painfully. The hat was a new one of brown straw
trimmed with dark blue ribbon. She had felt rather proud of it when it
came home from the milliner's the day before, and had considered the
little blue pompon with which Miss Wilson, who was authority in matters
of fashion in North Tolland, had enriched the middle bow, as a
masterpiece of decoration. Alas! the apple of knowledge was at her lips;
already she felt herself blush at the comments of these unknown girls
whose hats were so different from her own, and was thoroughly
uncomfortable, though she could hardly have told why.

Captain Peleg politely carried her bag for her across the landing-plank
to where the "team," a glossy coupe with one horse, was waiting. He
beckoned to the smart coachman, who wore a dark green overcoat with big
metal buttons, to draw nearer.

"Here's your passenger," he said, helping Candace into the carriage.
"Good-day, Miss. I hope we'll see you again on the 'Eolus.' All right,
driver."

"Oh, th