voice, "but I don't think you heard me knock. Ah, I see you did not. May
I come in?"

There was no reply. Had the battered figurehead of the Goddess of
Liberty, which lay deeply embedded in the sand on the beach, suddenly
appeared at the door demanding admittance, the occupants of the cabin
could not have been more speechlessly and hopelessly astonished than at
the form which stood in the open doorway.

It was that of a slim, shapely, elegantly dressed young woman. A
scarlet-lined silken hood was half thrown back from the shining mass of
the black hair that covered her small head; from her pretty shoulders
dropped a fur cloak, only restrained by a cord and tassel in her small
gloved hand. Around her full throat was a double necklace of large white
beads, that by some cunning feminine trick relieved with its infantile
suggestion the strong decision of her lower face.

"Did you say yes? Ah, thank you. We may come in, Barker." (Here a shadow
in a blue army overcoat followed her into the cabin, touched its cap
respectfully, and then stood silent and erect against the wall.) "Don't
disturb yourself in the least, I beg. What a distressingly unpleasant
night! Is this your usual climate?"

Half graciously, half absently overlooking the still embarrassed silence
of the group, she went on: "We started from the fort over three hours
ago,--three hours ago, wasn't it, Barker?" (the erect Barker touched his
cap,)--"to go to Captain Emmons's quarters on Indian Island,--I think
you call it Indian Island, don't you?" (she was appealing to the
awe-stricken Princess,)--"and we got into the fog and lost our way; that
is, Barker lost his way," (Barker touched his cap deprecatingly,) "and