e was not in the village, but here.

There had not been a moment of preparation for Anne; yet in the
emergency coolness came. Resting on her oars, she spoke: "Have you any
fish to-day?"

He shook his head, and held up one. "That's all," he said, drawing his
hand over his mouth by way of preparation for conversation.

"I should not think there would be as many fish here as in the lake,"
she continued, keeping her boat at a distance by a slight motion of her
oars.

"When the wind blows hard, there's more in the river," he answered.
"Wind blows to-day."

Was she mistaken? Had he given a sound of _d_ to _th_?

"But the water of the lake must be colder," she said, hardly able to
pronounce the word herself.

"Yes, in places where it's deep. But it's mostly shaller."

"How cold is it? Very cold?" (Was _she_ saying "gold" too?)

"No, not very, this time o' year. But cold enough in April."

"What?"

"Cold enough in April," replied the fisherman, his small eyes gazing at
her with increasing approbation.

He had given the sound of _g_ to the _c_. The pulses in Anne's throat
and temples were throbbing so rapidly now that she could not speak.

"I could bring yer some fish to-morrer, I reckon," said the man, making
a clicking sound with his teeth as he felt a bite and then lost it.

She nodded, and began to turn the boat.

"Where do you live?" he called, as the space between them widened.

She succeeded in pronouncing the name of her hostess, and then rowed
round the curve out of sight, trying not to betray her tremulous haste
and fear. All the way home she rowed with the strength of a giantess,
not knowing how she was exerting herself until she began to walk through
the meadow toward the house, when she found her limbs failing her. She
reached her room with an effort, and locking her door, threw herself
down on a couch to wait for Miss Lois. It was understood in the house
that "poor Miss Young" had one of her "mathematical headaches."

CHAPTER XXXIX.

"God made him; therefore let him pass for a man."

--SHAKSPEARE.

When Miss Lois returned, and saw Anne's face, she was herself stirred to
excitement. "You have seen him!" she said, in a whisper.

"Yes. He is the murderer: I feel it."

"Did he say 'gold'?"

"He did."

They sat down on the couch together, and in whispers Anne told all. Then
they looked at each other.

"We must work as lightly as thistle-down," said Miss Lois, "or we shall