been on the
water yet. It is a new pleasure for her. At four o'clock, you said, Mrs.
Joy?"

"Yes, dear, at four. And don't trouble to send down for the girls. It's
impossible to tell exactly when they will get in, as it depends on the
wind, and Berry will have the beach-wagon, and can bring them all up as
well as not. Good-by, dear." And Mrs. Joy sailed toward her carriage,
where the two girls were already seated.

"I've asked that Miss Arden who's staying with the Grays to go out
sailing with you to-morrow," she said, as she took her seat. "You'll
want another gentleman, Berry."

"Oh, mamma, what _did_ you do that for? She's the pokiest little thing.
We didn't want her at all."

"Well, Mrs. Gray introduced her, and said she was almost her niece, and
I thought it seemed to be expected. Mrs. Gray is always polite to our
visitors, you know, and I don't like to seem to slight any of hers.
What's the matter with the girl?"

"Oh, nothing's the matter, only she's poky, and doesn't seem to fit in
somehow. You would understand if you had seen her the day she came. Mrs.
Gray has dressed her up, as you might be sure she would; but then she
looked like the backwoods, didn't she, Ethel?"

"She seemed nice-appearing enough to-day. You'll have to make the best
you can of it, I guess; for Mrs. Gray accepted for her."

"It doesn't really signify," said Berry, discontentedly; "only it throws
the party all out of shape. And she's younger than any of the rest, only
just seventeen, Georgie says. She'd a great deal better stay at home
with Marian."

It was fortunate that Candace did not guess how unwelcome her company
was to the getters-up of the party, for the idea of the sail was most
delightful to her. She had never been out in a boat in her life, not
even on the smallest pond; and she had just discovered the strong
fascination of the sea. She longed to get nearer to it, to know it
better; and in her innocent little heart she thought, "How very kind it
was in Mrs. Joy to invite me."

Sunday was always a particularly pleasant day at the Grays'. Mrs. Gray
was wont to declare that though she did not believe in the Jewish
Sabbath, she did with all her heart believe in the Christian day of
rest; and she took pains to make it a happy one for all under her roof.
She gave her servants as much liberty as she could, simplified their
work, and provided a plenty of good reading for such of them as stayed
at home. Her own time was much m