"But you'd rather stay ashore," said the young man shortly. "Never mind, Vic, old chap, we'll go alone, and have a good smoke. Cheerful, isn't it? I say, Uncle Luke, you're quite right." "First time you ever thought so then," said the old man shortly. "Perhaps Miss Vine will reconsider her determination," said the young man's companion, in a low soft voice, as he went toward Louise, and seemed to Duncan Leslie to be throwing all the persuasion possible into his manner. "Oh, no, thank you, Mr Pradelle," she replied hastily, and Duncan Leslie once more felt relieved and yet pained, for there was a peculiar consciousness in her manner. "We had brought some cans with us and a hammer and chisel," continued Pradelle. "Harry thought we might go as far as the gorns." "Zorns, man," cried Harry. "I beg pardon, zorns, and get a few specimens for Mr Vine." "It was very kind and thoughtful of Harry," said Louise hastily, "and we are sorry to disappoint him--on this his last day--but--" "Blessed _but_!" said Harry, with a sneer; and he gave Madelaine a withering look, which made her bite her lip. "And the fish swarming round the point," said Uncle Luke impatiently. "Why don't you go with them, girls?" "Right again, uncle," said Harry. The old man made him a mocking bow. "Go, uncle?" said Louise eagerly, and then checking herself. Duncan Leslie's heart sank like an ingot of his own copper dropped in a tub. "Yes, go." "If you think so, uncle--" "Well, I do," he said testily, "only pray go at once." "There!" cried Harry. "Come, Maddy." He held out his hand to his sister's companion, but she hesitated, still looking at Louise, whose colour was going and coming as she saw Pradelle take off his cap and follow his friend's example, holding out his hand to help her into the boat. "Yes, dear," she said to Madelaine gravely. "They would be terribly disappointed if we did not go." The next moment Madelaine was in the boat, Louise still hanging back till, feeling that it would be a slight worse than the refusal to go if she ignored the help extended to her, she laid her hand in Pradelle's and stepped off the rock into the gently rising and falling boat. "Another of my mistakes," said Duncan Leslie to himself; and then he started as if some one had given him an electric shock. "Hullo!" cried the old man, "You're going too?" "I? going?" "Yes, of course! To take care of them. I'm not going to have them set off without some one to act as ballast to those boys." Louise mentally cast her arms round the old man's neck and kissed him. Harry, in the same manner, kicked his uncle into the sea, and Pradelle's eyes looked closer together than usual, as he turned them upon the young mine-owner. "I should only be too happy," said the latter, "if--" "Oh, there's plenty of room, Mr Leslie," cried the girls in duet. "Pray come." The invitation was so genuine that Leslie's heart seemed to leap.