to inquire for Miss Kate," I began, after I had risen from my
chair, and made the politest bow I was capable of making.

"She is quite well," replied Mrs. Loraine, coolly.

"I hope she has not suffered from the cold bath she took in the lake," I
continued.

"Not at all."

"She was very much agitated and distressed."

"She will get over that."

"We would like to see her, if you please," I added, coming to the point
without any more parleying.

"It would not be convenient for her to see you this evening," answered
Mrs. Loraine, with more emphasis than an ordinary case seemed to
require.

"I am sorry, for we desire very much to see her; indeed, we promised to
see her after she had changed her clothes."

"Well, young gentlemen, I will assure her you have kept your promise,
which will be sufficient to relieve you from any charge of want of
fidelity," said she.

"I beg your pardon, Mrs. Loraine, but if it isn't too much trouble, we
would like very much to see Miss Kate."

"It would be no trouble at all, but it would be entirely inconsistent
with my purposes to have her leave her room to-night," answered she,
haughtily.

"At what hour to-morrow could we see her," I asked.

"It would not be proper at any hour to-morrow for you to see her. Kate
is a wilful and disobedient girl, and I find it necessary to permit her
to see no one, in her present frame of mind."

"Perhaps I ought to tell you, Mrs. Loraine, that Kate very strongly
objected to returning to her home, and begged us to land her any
where--in the woods--rather than bring her back to you," I added.

"Did she, indeed!" exclaimed Mrs. Loraine, her face becoming very red.
"Then she is even more wilful than I supposed."

"It was only by the promise to see her, that we induced her to land
here."

"You behaved very properly in returning her to me, and I am greatly
obliged to you for your consideration. It is not necessary for me to
detail to you, who are strangers to me, the troubles I experience in my
domestic affairs; and you are too gentlemanly to wish to pry into them."

"Excuse me, but when a young lady becomes so desperate as to jump
overboard, it seems to me she must be in a very bad condition."

"That was all a sham. Perhaps I have indulged her too much, and not
begun early enough to subdue her violent temper. She is very wilful, and
needs stern discipline."

"Do you think it was fair to keep her in a room a week for taking too
long stitches