steamer-load of new machinery arrived to-day, and I have to see
it through the Custom-House.''

Miss Langham gave an impatient little laugh, and shook her head.
``You might wait until we were gone before you bother with your
machinery,'' she said.

``When you are gone I won't be in a state of mind to attend to
machinery or anything else,'' Clay answered.

Miss Langham seemed so far encouraged by this speech that she
seated herself in the boathouse at the end of the wharf. She
pushed her mantilla back from her face and looked up at him,
smiling brightly.

`` `The time has come, the walrus said,' '' she quoted, `` `to
talk of many things.' ''

Clay laughed and dropped down beside her. ``Well?'' he said.

``You have been rather unkind to me this last week,'' the girl
began, with her eyes fixed steadily on his. ``And that day at
the mines when I counted on you so, you acted abominably.''

Clay's face showed so plainly his surprise at this charge, which
he thought he only had the right to make, that Miss Langham
stopped.

``I don't understand,'' said Clay, quietly. ``How did I treat
you abominably?''