and be a King, or would you be afraid?"

"No. I should go and be a King. And fight battles."

"But you would have to leave everybody. You would have to leave
your father."

"I should not mind that," answered Sep, brutally.

"You would leave Miss Liston?"

"I should have to," was the reply, with conviction.

"Ah, yes," said Colville, with a grave nod of the head. "Yes. I
suppose you would have to if you were anything of a man at all.
There would be no alternative--for a real man."

"Besides," put in Sep, jumping from side to side on his seat with
eagerness, "she would make me--wouldn't you, Miriam?"

Colville had turned away and was looking northward toward the creek,
known as Maiden's Grave, running through the marshes to the river.
A large lug-sail broke the flat line of the horizon, though the boat
to which it belonged was hidden by the raised dyke.

"Would she?" inquired Colville, absent-mindedly, without taking his
eyes from the sail which was creeping slowly toward them. "Well--
you know Miss Liston's character better than I do, Sep. And no
doubt you are right. And you are not that little boy, so it doesn't
matter; does it?"