“Ah, how do you do, Lieutenant? Happy to see you, sir. Very happy! You have been away since I saw you last?” heartily exclaimed John, as he seized and shook the young man’s hand, adding: “Sorry I cannot stop to have a good talk with you now; but it is getting late. It will be dark before we get home, and the roads are dreadful.” “Yes, yes!” exclaimed the old commodore, who did not approve of this friendliness under all the circumstances. “Yes, the roads are very dangerous to be traveled after dark. Don’t stand talking to Mr. Palmer and keeping him here all night, Ronald.” Ronald had not said a word up to this moment. John had done all the talking. Now, however, the young man warmly shook the hand of the overseer, saying: “I will not detain you now, much as I should like to do so, but I will drop in on you very soon.” “_Do, do, do_, now; and the _sooner_ you do the better! You’ll always find a plate at the table and a bed in the house heartily at your service,” earnestly exclaimed the unsuspicious John, as he stepped into the gig, seated himself beside his daughter and took the reins in his hands. “Good-by, Commodore Bruce,” said Em., bending from her seat and holding out her hand. “Please make my excuses and adieux to the ladies. I did not see any of them as I came out. They were all in their rooms.” “Dressing for dinner—a fearfully long task for them, my dear. I will give them your message, though they don’t deserve it. Good-by, and God bless you, my dear,” said the old man, pressing a kiss upon her bent forehead and withdrawing. “Good-by, Lieutenant,” said Em. in a lower and less assured tone, as she doubtfully held out her hand. “Good-night; but not good-by. I shall see you very, very soon. _To-morrow afternoon_,” he added in a lower tone, as he raised her hand and pressed it to his lips and in his turn withdrew. “They seem main fond of you at that house, Em.,” said John Palmer, as they drove through the end gate and took the roundabout road leading down the mountainside. “But, Lord! who wouldn’t be fond of her,” he mentally added in a meditative mood. “They were very kind to me, father,” answered the girl, who found it a hard task to speak steadily and without tears. “Why, yes; the old man and the young one took leave of you as lovingly as if you’d a-been the sister of one and the daughter o’ t’other.” “Are they all well at home, father?” inquired Em. “Every one as well as con be,” heartily responded John. “And now, little daughter, I know how hard it is for a girl to hold her tongue under any circumstances, especially when she has been away a week from home; but just try to keep quiet, my dear, until we get to the foot of this mountain, for it will take all my attention to look after Queen Bess,” said John, as he tightened the reins of the mare to hold her up in going down hill.