Leander glanced at his sister, and cried out, "What you lookin' at me so for?" "Is there any reason why I shouldn't look at you?" she asked, calmly. "No; only you needn't eat me." Carolyn turned her eyes towards the fire and remained silent. A red spot came quickly to each cheek; yet she could hardly have explained why her face should burn. And what was Lee talking about? Why wasn't he in his bed long ago if he wasn't with Prue? "It's too windy for you to go sailing," said the boy's mother. "Is it? You bet 'tain't, then. And they'll have a first-class breeze. The _Vi_'ll go, I tell you." "Who's gone?" Mrs. Ffolliott put the question with little interest, but she saw that her son wished to talk on the subject, therefore he must be allowed to do so. "Why, Rodney 'n' Prue. 'N' the joke of it is that Rodney didn't know anybody was aboard, 'n' all the time there was Prue in the cabin; 'n' Devil was there, too. Rod came rushin' down, 'n' I was goin' to get in, too, 'n' he said no, he wanted to go alone. 'N' so I let him; 'n' I bet he'll be frightened out of his boots, when Prue walks out. If she's bright, 'n' she is, she'll come a ghost, or somethin', on him. She could do that splendid. Couldn't she do a ghost splendid, Caro?" "Yes," said Caro. Caro's mother glanced at her smilingly; the affair was a good joke to her also; and how funny Lee had made it. Then she glanced again in a startled way. She leaned over and drew her daughter to her, but the girl would not lean against her. "Carolyn," cried her mother, in a sharp voice, "what is it? There's something dreadful in your eyes! It is like what I dreamed about you when you wished Prudence was drowned. You remember?" Carolyn drew herself up. She put a hand over her eyes for an instant. "Mother," she said, reproachfully, "how can you be so foolish? And you must have a very vivid imagination to-night. There's nothing dreadful in my face, is there, Aunt Ellen?" Prudence's mother smiled languidly and replied that Letitia was full of notions this evening. A strong rush of wind came shrieking about the house; a puff of smoke leaped out of the chimney across the hearth. "Bully time for a spin in the _Vireo_," remarked Leander. "It was kinder mean that Rodney didn't let me go. Do you s'pose he's found out yet that Prue's on board, Caro?" The boy was rubbing his smarting eyes as he spoke. His sister had now risen; she was standing by the hearth, with one hand on the mantel. She was telling herself that the first involuntary movement of her heart had been mean and disloyal, and she had thrust that emotion from her. Did she distrust the man to whom she gave herself? And Rodney did not know Prudence was on board. How ridiculous, nay, how dishonoring to her own soul had been that involuntary distrust! "Do you s'pose he's found it out yet, Caro?" persisted Leander. "I don't know, I'm sure--yes, of course. How the wind does blow!" Another gust came sweeping down from the land.