od for a girl's tongue to be
tied at times." Then, in answer to the enquiring looks he was casting at
me, she said, "This is Phil Carre of Belfontaine, whom some folks thought
dead. But I never did, and he's come back to show I was right. This is M.
Bernel Torode of Herm, Phil, mon gars."

And young Torode and I looked into one another's eyes and knew that we were
not to be friends. What he saw amiss in me I do not know, but to me there
was about him something overmasterful which roused in me a keen desire to
master it, or thwart it.

"You are but just home, then, M. Carre?" he asked.

"This evening."

"From--?"

"From Florida last by way of New York."

"Ah! Many ships about?"

"Not many but our own."

"There will be no bones left to pick soon," he laughed, "and the appetite
grows. And what with the preventive men and their new powers it will soon
be difficult to pick up an honest living."

"From all accounts M. Torode manages it one way or another," I said.

"All the same it gets more difficult. It's a case of too many pots and not
enough lobsters."

And then Jeanne Falla, who had gone across to the others, suddenly clapped
her hands, and Nicholas Grut's hungry bow dashed into a quick step that set
feet dancing in spite of themselves.

And Carette sprang up from her seat and stepped out of her bower, and her
face, radiant at her release, had in it all the loveliness of all the
flowers from among which she came. The roses clung to her white gown as
though loth to let her go, and strewed the ground as she passed, and no
man's heart but must have jumped the quicker at sight of her coming towards
him with welcomes in her eyes and hands.

She came straight across to us, and the other girls watched eagerly to see
which of us she would speak to first--for Midsummer Eve is as full of signs
and omens as Aunt Jeanne's gache of currants.

She gave a hand to each of us, the left to me and the right to young
Torode, and the left is nearer the heart, said I to myself.

"Phil, mon cher," she cried joyously. "It is good to see you alive and home
again. And some foolish ones said you were gone for good! And you are
bigger and browner than ever--" and she held me off at arm's length for
inspection. "And when did you arrive?"

"I reached home just in time for supper."

"Ah, how glad your mother would be! She and Aunt Jeanne and I were the only
ones who hoped still, I do believe."

"May I beg the first dance, mademo