gloom of a midnight confabulation,
she suddenly observed that size and looks in men were absolutely
nothing--less than nothing--and that in her estimation heart and
intellect were everything!

In the midst of his mirth Mr Durant suddenly turned to Queeker and
said--

"By the way, what made you so late of coming to-night, Queeker? I
thought you had promised to come to tea."

"Well, yes, but--a--that is," stammered Queeker in confusion, "in fact I
was obliged to keep an appointment in connection with the--the
particular business--"

"The secret mission, in short," observed Katie, with a peculiar smile.

"Well, secret mission if you choose," laughed Queeker; "at all events it
was that which prevented my getting here sooner. In truth, I did not
expect to have managed to come so soon, but we came to the boat--"

Queeker stopped short and blushed violently, feeling that he had
slightly, though unintentionally, committed himself.

Fanny looked at him, blushed in sympathy, and giggled.

"Oh, there's a _boat_ in the secret mission, is there?" cried Stanley;
"come, let us make a game of it. Was it an iron boat?"

"No," replied Queeker, laughing, for he felt that at all events he was
safe in answering that question.

"Was it a wooden one?" asked Katie.

"Well--ye--"

"Was it a big one?" demanded Mr Durant, entering into the spirit of the
game.

"No, it was a little one," said Queeker, still feeling safe, although
anxious to evade reply.

"Was there a man in it?" said Katie.

Queeker hesitated.

"And a boy?" cried Stanley.

The question was put unwittingly, but being so put Queeker stammered,
and again blushed.

Katie on the contrary turned pale, for her previously expressed hope
that there might be some connection between Queeker's mission and Billy
Towler's troubles flashed into her mind.

"But _was_ there a boy in it?" she said, with a sudden earnestness that
induced every one to look at her in surprise.

"Really, I pray--I must beg," said Queeker, "that you won't make this a
matter of even jocular inquiry. Of course I know that no one here would
make improper use of any information that I might give, but I have been
pledged to secrecy by my employers."

"But," continued Katie in the same anxious way as before, "it will not
surely be a breach of confidence merely to tell me if the boy was a
small, active, good-looking little fellow, with bright eyes and curly
hair."

"I am bound to admit," said