"It was all that," he agreed drily, breaking in on her
quivering speech and steeling himself against its pitiful
appeal. "All that. And then some. And it's generous of you
not to blame me for being just the very tiniest least bit
riled by it. That helps. I was afraid my peevishness might
displease you. My temper isn't what it should be. If it were
I should be apologizing to you for getting your nice boat all
sloppy like this."

"Please!" she begged. "Please! Won't you please try not to-
-to think too hardly of my brother? And won't you please
acquit me of knowing anything of it? I didn't know.
Honestly. Mr Brice. I didn't. When Milo came back home
without you he told me you had decided to stay on at
Roustabout Key to help Roke, till the new foreman could come
from Homestead."

"Quite so," assented Gavin, his voice as jarring as a file's.
"I did. And he decided that I shouldn't change my mind.
He--"

"It wasn't till half an hour ago," she hurried on. miserably.
"that I knew. I was coming down stairs. Milo and Rodney Hade
were in the music-room together. I didn't mean to overhear.
But oh, I'm so glad I did!"

"I'm glad it could make you so happy," he said. "The pleasure
is all yours."

"All I caught was just this:" she went on. "Rodney was