ut that coffee! I never
smelled anything so delicious."

"Had some last night," commented Angelique, shortly. She perceived
that this stranger was in some way obnoxious to her beloved master,
and she resented the surprise with which he had seen her take her own
place behind the tray. Her temper seemed fairly cross-edged that
morning and Margot remarked:

"Don't mind mother. She's dreadfully disappointed that nobody died and
no bad luck followed her breaking a mirror, yesterday."

"No bad luck?" demanded Angelique, looking at Adrian with so marked a
manner that it spoke volumes. "And as for dyin'--you've but to go into
the woods and you'll see."

Here Tom created a diversion by entering and limping straight to the
stranger's side, who moved away, then blushed at his own timidity,
seeing the amusement with which the others regarded him.

"Oh! we're all one family here, servants and ever'body," cried the
woman, tossing the eagle a crumb of biscuit.

But the big bird was not to be drawn from his scrutiny of this new
face; and the gravity of his unwinking gaze was certainly
disconcerting.

"Get out, you uncanny creature! Beg pardon, Miss Margot, but I'm--he
seems to have a special grudge against me."

"Oh! no. He doesn't understand who you are, yet. We had a man here
last year, helping uncle, and Tom acted just as he does now. Though
he never would make friends with the Canadian, as I hope he will with
you."

Angelique flashed a glance toward the girl. Why should she, or anybody
speak as if this lad's visit were to be a prolonged one? And they had,
both she and the master. He had bidden the servant fill a fresh "tick"
with the dried and shredded fern leaves and pine needles, such as
supplied their own mattresses; and to put all needful furnishings into
the one disused room of the cabin.

"But, master! When you've always acted as if that were bein' kept for
somebody who was comin' some day. Somebody you love!" she protested.

"I have settled the matter, Angelique. Don't fear that I've not
thought it all out. 'Do unto others,' you know. For each day its duty,
its battle with self, and, please God, its victory."

"He's a saint, ever'body knows; and there's somethin' behind all this
I don't understand!" she had muttered, but had also done his bidding,
still complaining.

Commonly, meals were leisurely affairs in that forest home, but on
this morning Mr. Dutton set an example of haste that the others
followed; a