Very good. Winthrop, you had better take the boat down in
good time this afternoon so as to be sure and be there -- I
can't be spared a moment from the bend meadow. The grass there
is just ready to be laid. It's a very heavy swath. I guess
there's all of three tons to the acre."

"Take the boat down where?" said Asahel.

"To Cowslip's mill," said his brother. "What time will the
stage be along, sir?"

"Not much before six, I expect. You'll have the tide with you
to go down."

"It's well to look at the fair side of a subject," said
Winthrop, as his father left the room.

"May I go with you, Governor?" said Asahel.

"No sir."

"Why?"

"Because I shall have the tide hard against me coming back."

"But I am not much, and your arms are strong," urged Asahel.

"Very true. Well -- we'll see. Mother, do you want any fish to-
day?"

A sort of comical taking of the whole subject somehow was
expressed under these words, and set the whole family a-
laughing, All but Rufus; he was impenetrable. He sat finishing
his breakfast without a word, but with a certain significant
air of the lip and eyebrow, and dilating nostril, which said
something was wrong.

It was the fairest of summer afternoons; the sky June's deep
and full-coloured blue, the sun gay as a child, the hills in
their young summer dress, just put on; and the water, -- well,
it was running down very fast, but it was running quietly, and
lying under the sky and the sunshine it sparkled back their
spirit of life and joy. The air was exceeding clear, and the
green outlines of the hills rose sharp against the blue sky.

Winthrop stood a minute on one of the rocks at the water's
edge to look, and then stepped from that to the one where his
boat was moored, and began to undo the chain.

"Are you going down after those people?" said the voice of
Rufus behind him. It sounded in considerable disgust.

"What do you advise?" said Winthrop without looking up.

"I would see them at the bottom of the river first!"

"Bad advice," said Winthrop. "It would be a great deal harder
to go after them there."

"Do you know what effect your going now will have?"

"Upon them?"

"No, upon you."

"Well -- no," said Winthrop looking at the river; "I shall have
a pull up, but I shall hardly hear any news of that to-
morrow."

"It will make them despise you!"

"That would be rather an effect upon them," said Winthrop,
throwing the loosened chain into the boat's head an