ody happy by going with them and showing them
where the finest flowers and berries were to be found; and so we would
all be happy together, and that's what God wants, is it not?"

Mr Stanley glanced towards his wife with an arch smile. "There,
Jessie, what think you of that?"

"Nay, husband, what think you?"

"I think," he replied in an undertone, "that your sagacious teaching
against idleness, and in favour of diligence and attention to duty, and
so forth, has not taken very deep root yet."

"And _I_ think," said Mrs Stanley, "that however wise you men may be in
some things, you are all most incomprehensibly stupid in regard to the
development of young minds."

"Take care now, Jessie; you're verging upon metaphysics. But you have
only given me your opinion of men as yet; you have still to say what you
think of Eda's acknowledged predilection for idleness."

"Well," replied Mrs Stanley, "I think that my sagacious teaching, as
you are pleased to call it, has taken pretty firm root already, and that
Eda's speech is one of the first bright, beautiful blossoms, from which
we may look for much fruit hereafter; for to make one's self and one's
fellow-creatures happy, _because such is the will of God_, seems to me a
simple and comprehensive way of stating the whole duty of man."

Stanley's eyes opened a little at this definition. "Hum! _multum in
parvo_; it may be so," he said; and casting down his eyes, he was soon
lost in a profound reverie, while the canoe continued to progress
forward by little impulsive bounds, under the rapid stroke of the
paddles. Eda rested her fair cheek on the shaggy brow of Chimo, and
accompanied him to the land of nod, until the sun began to sink behind
the icebergs on the seaward horizon, where a dark line indicated an
approaching breeze.

Massan cast an uneasy glance at this from time to time. At length he
called to his friend in the bow, "Hello, Prince! will it come stiff;
think ye?"

"No," replied Prince, rising and shading his eyes with his hand; "it'll
be only a puff; but that's enough to drive the ice down on us, an' shut
up the open water."

"It's my 'pinion," said Massan, "that we should hold away for the p'int
yonder, an' camp there."

Dick Prince nodded assent, and resumed his paddle.

As he did so the report of a gun came sharply over the water.

"Ha!" exclaimed Stanley, looking out ahead; "what's that?"

"Only Mr Frank," said Massan; "he's dowsed two birds. I see