,
jumping lightly to the wharf. "Perhaps you'll come to the inn and have
luncheon with us--that is, if you are sure Doctor Ledyard did not send
you here to spy on me."

"I haven't seen him since I left America. My mother is with me; she's in
a crack of the hills in Italy. She wanted to be alone. Doctor Ledyard
will join us later."

"Then come to the house. They serve meals on a dangerously poised balcony
over the lake; we curb our appetites for fear our weight may be the one
thing the structure cannot stand. Our old housekeeper waits upon us, but
is in no wise responsible for the food which is often very bad and
lacking in nourishment."

"You seem to thrive on it." Travers looked at the two before him. "I
wonder just what it is this air and place have done to you?"

"Tell him, Priscilla."

"Oh, like you, Doctor Travers, we simply found ourselves--here! That's
all."

Travers did not leave the inn that night, nor for many days thereafter.

"Doctor Ledyard will join my mother and me early in August," he
explained; "until then I'm a floating proposition. I wish you'd let me
stay on a while, Miss Moffatt, right here. I want to analyze the food, it
puzzles me. Why just this kind of conglomeration should achieve such
results is interesting. I've gained five pounds in six days."

"And lost ten years," Margaret broke in. "I never thought of you as
young, Doctor Travers; professional men never do seem youthful; but
_here_ you're rather a good sort."

And Travers remained, much to the delight of the old housekeeper, who,
with a nurse and a doctor in command, cast all responsibility aside.

"Young Miss looks well," she confided to the proprietor's wife, who,
fortunately, could understand a word or so of English; "but folks is like
weather: the fairer they seem, the nearer a storm. When a day or a person
looks uncommonly fair--a weather breeder, says I, and generally, nine
times out of ten, I'm right. My young lady is too changed to be
comfortable. It's either a breaking up, or----" But here a shout for
"Mousey," silenced further prophecy.

The days ran along without cloud or shadow. Quite naturally, perhaps,
Priscilla began to think that a drama of life was being enacted in the
quiet, detached village. They three were always together, always enjoying
the same things, but certainly no man, so she thought, could be with
Margaret Moffatt long without falling at her feet. Gradually to Priscilla
Glenn this girl stood for a