nd angry than he had ever
felt in his life before. He felt that suddenly the boat was quite
unmanageable, that it was rocking and racing and taking them he did not
know where.

All of a sudden Irene sprang to her feet.

"Get back into the stern," she said. "Sit quite still, and let me take
the oars. I wanted to see if you could row. I see you can't. There is
another flash of lightning. Don't be frightened. I know you are; but try
to keep it under. I have something to say to you."

She seated herself, and the two children faced each other. The flash of
lightning was followed by a crashing peal of thunder. The trees bowed
low to meet the gale; the frightened birds, the swans and others, took
shelter where they could best find it; but as yet there was not a drop
of rain.

"How hot it is!" said Irene. "Let us fly down the stream."

"What do you mean by that?" said Hughie, whose freckled face was deadly
white.

"I will tell you if you like; but don't speak."

He looked at her with fascinated eyes. In her red dress, with her
witch-like face and glancing, dancing, naughty eyes, she became to him
for the moment an object of absolute terror. Was this the gentle and
exceedingly pretty girl whom little Agnes so adored? He was alone with
her, and they were, so to speak, flying through the water, although she
scarcely touched the oars, allowing them to lie almost idle by her side.

Suddenly she shipped them and bent toward him.

"We needn't row any more," she said. "We are in the current. The current
will take us. Hughie, can you swim?"

"I don't know anything about swimming," he said.

"Well, that is rather bad for you; for in about five minutes of this
sort of thing we go right down the cascade at the end of the lake and
among the breakers. The boat will be upset, and you will have to fight
for your life, unless I choose to save you. I could save you, for I have
perfect control of myself in the water."

"But you don't mean to say you are going to do anything of that sort!
Can't we get into the calmer part of the lake? I don't understand you,"
said Hughie.

"But I understand you. You don't like me, and I don't like you. From the
very first you have been disagreeable. I like your little sister, but
you don't want me to like her."

"Well, I think you are a bit rough on old Em," was Hughie's remark.

"What a flash that was!" said Irene; and her eyes danced with cruel
pleasure. "Ah! here comes the rain."

A terrifi