u're chilled right through."

In spite of her protests he took off his coat, slipped it across her
shoulders and tucked her arms into the sleeves. When he had buttoned
it and turned up the collar he locked arms with her and together they
hopped up the roadbed till they had to stop finally, out of breath with
exertion and laughter. But the exercise was warming and he kept her at
it for another few rods.

"How's that?"

"Warm--as toast," she panted. "Oh, what a picture!"

They had rounded a curve and found themselves unexpectedly opposite a
lake vista that lay steeped in the moonlight. It was from here the
loon had called. There was a chain of little lakes, clustered with
wide openings between. The shores were thickly wooded close down to
the water's edge and the land ran out in long arms that threw inky
shadows in sharp contrast to the panorama of silver water spaces. Out
in the centre was an islet where a great rock, rearing above the
surface, had gathered moss and a few clinging cedars, one of which
stood out in solitary silhouette against the bright sky. The scene was
like some artistic conception in black and white,--high lights and deep
shadows,--and the cold beauty of it held them silent.

"Isn't that a glorious moon? What a wonderful night it is!" she
breathed.

"Wonderful!" he agreed, but as he smiled at her he was not referring to
the landscape or the moon. Far be it from him to dispute the wonder of
a night the exigencies of which worked such magic in their
acquaintanceship. He gave her his arm to lean on and they limped off
up the track, each glad of the other's presence in the solitude that
encompassed them. The moon was well up above the rock ridges now, and
its white light was gleaming along the steel rails that stretched
lonesomely away into the miles of spruce and Laurentian outcroppings.

At her request he began at the beginning and related the happenings of
the past three weeks--at least, he began with his surveying experiences
along this very track. Then he told how he had encountered Podmore and
met the railroad president and about Wade's plan for discovering
certain facts concerning Podmore and Nickleby. He realized how
impossible it was for him to make first mention of what had happened on
that foggy night that he had paddled her across the bay; he was not
supposed to know that she was the girl and the bare thought of
introducing such a dangerous topic filled him with trepidati