meant, soon came back and told me that the family of three had
departed in the night, and had sent this cart for their baggage. I think
this was a very uncivil proceeding, and I do not in the least understand
it. Can you imagine any reason for this extremely uncourteous action?"

The bishop could imagine reasons, but he did not care to state them.

"It may be," he said, with a smile, "that they discovered that their
natures demanded hotel beds instead of camp cots, and that they
immediately departed in obedience to the mandates of their
individualities."

"But in so doing," said Miss Raybold, "they violated the principles of
association. Our scheme included mutual confidence as well as
self-investigation and assertion. I must admit that Mr. Archibald
disappointed me. I think he misunderstood my project. By holding one's
self entirely aloof from humanity one encourages self-ignorance. But
perhaps our party was somewhat too large--the elements too many and
inharmonious--and I see no reason why we who remain should relinquish our
purpose. I believe it will be easier for us to become truly ourselves than
when our number was greater, and so I propose that we make no change
whatever in our plans; that we live on, for the time agreed upon, exactly
as if the Archibalds were here. And now, if you have a few minutes to
spare, I would like to read you something I wrote this morning before I
left my tent. I was awake during the night, and thought for a long time
upon the subject of mental assimilation, the discussion of which we did
not finish last evening, and this morning, while my thoughts were fresh, I
put them upon paper, and now I would like to read them to you. Isn't there
some shady place where we might sit down? There are two camp-chairs; will
you kindly place them under this tree?"

The bishop sighed, but he went for the chairs. It would be too hard for
him to tell her he was going to leave the camp, and he would not try to do
it. He would slip off as soon as he had a chance, and leave a note for
her. She would not perhaps like that, but it was the best he could do.

The reading of the paper occupied at least half an hour, and when it was
finished, and Corona had begun to make some remarks on a portion of it
which she had not fully elaborated, Mrs. Perkenpine approached, and stood
before her.

"Well, miss," said she, "I'm off."

Miss Raybold fixed her eye-glasses upon her. "What do you mean?" she
asked.

"I'm go