pond; and you'll have her all to yourselves. Carroll and I are going to
camp ashore."

He paddled them off to the boat. Coming back with some blankets, he cut a
few armfuls of spruce twigs in a ravine and spread them out beside the
fire. Then sitting down just clear of the scented smoke he lighted his
pipe and asked an abrupt question.

"What do you think of Kitty Blake?"

"She's attractive, in person and manners."

"Anybody could see that at a glance!"

"Well," Carroll added cautiously, "I must confess that I've taken some
interest in the girl--partly because you were obviously doing so. In a
general way, what I noticed rather surprised me. It wasn't what I
expected."

"You smart folks are as often wrong as the rest of us. I suppose you
looked for cold-blooded assurance, tempered by what one might call
experienced coquetry?"

"Something of the kind," Carroll agreed. "As you say, I was wrong. There
are only two ways of explaining Miss Blake, and the first's the one that
would strike most people. That is, she's acting a part, possibly with an
object; holding her natural self in check, and doing it cleverly."

Vane laughed scornfully.