ance of this newly awakened world which reacted
on the watcher's mind.

Peggy had come out from the shack and was seated on the threshold;
even she was conscious of a certain elation, for she was humming to
herself one of those endless, tuneless, barbaric Indian airs which
only take on the pretence of music when they are assisted by the
stamping of many feet, and the clapping of many hands. When Granger
turned his head in her direction, she lowered her eyes, and her
singing ceased. He had not meant that she should do that; he was
merely wondering whether she was really a pretty girl and whether, if
he were to take her back with him to England, she would be seen as
beautiful by London eyes. London eyes! What had they ever seen that
was essentially beautiful and free? They could judge of the latest
fashion in hats, and of the proper size of the laced-in waist; but
what had they ever seen of the naked, sinuous grace of the human body
as God made it and had meant that it should be seen? Of nakedness and
simplicity, and all things genuine, the civilised man had been taught
to be ashamed. No, no, to-day, in the sunshine, he felt sure that he
would not return to the insincerity, artificiality, and the
blinkered-eyes of the town, were he given his choice. He wanted to
breathe cleanness, and to see God's hand at work, and to be _a man_;
in London, or any other city, individuality and all these things would
be denied. He could be very happy now, he believed; now that he was
not lonely any longer, because he had a wife. He wished that he could
find a language in which to tell her these things. But he feared to
speak; he knew that as yet, just returned from the winter-trail, she
would not understand.

While he had been thinking, she had slowly raised her eyes; she was
not looking at him, but northeast, down-river, toward the bend.
Turning suddenly, he caught the direction of her gaze. Glancing down
to the pier, he discovered that Beorn's eyes were also turned that
way. What were they waiting for? What were they anticipating? Was it
the return of Eyelids that made them so expectant? During the past
fourteen days he had often caught them thus waiting and gazing, as
though stoically prepared for news of whatever kind. He suspected that
they had some secret which they were not willing to share with
him--this would account to an extent for Peggy's reticence. But what
secrets of importance could they have, dwelling as they did on the