"It is so interesting that you are familiar here, Mr. Gayne," said Miss Emerson. "You must tell us all about the island and show us the prettiest places." The owner of the binoculars stirred restlessly under the appealing smile the lady was bestowing upon him. "For myself, I just love to walk," she added suggestively. "I don't do much walking," he returned shortly. "I come here to sketch." "Oh, an artist!" exclaimed Miss Emerson, clasping her hands in the extremity of her delight. "Do you allow any one to watch you work? Such a pleasure as it would be." "It isn't, though," said Nicholas Gayne with an uncomfortable side-glance at his admirer. "My daubs aren't worth watching." "Oh, that will do for you to say," she returned archly. "I have done some sketching myself. Perhaps I could persuade you to take a pupil." "Nothing doing," returned the artist hastily. "We all come up here to rest, don't we?" he added. "Oh, I suppose so," sighed Miss Emerson. "But I do hope you will give me the great pleasure of seeing your work sometime." She sank back into her chair with a sigh. "That is a very fine glass," remarked Mrs. Lowell as she returned it to its owner. His brow cleared as he received it. "Well, I must be off," he said. "I mustn't waste time under these favoring skies." "Oh, Miss Wilbur," said Miss Emerson, addressing the young girl. "Wouldn't it be lovely if Mr. Gayne would let us go with him and watch him sketch?" "I am quite ignorant of his art," returned Diana, rising from her seat. "And I still have a great deal of exploring to do on my own account." Nicholas Gayne cast an admiring glance at the statuesque lines of her face and figure. "Perhaps you will let me make a sketch of you one of these days, Miss Wilbur." He approached the piazza rail as he spoke and his voice carried down to where Philip was painting under the eyes of the silent, watching boy. Philip looked up, and, catching the expression with which Gayne seemed to be appraising the young girl, he ruined one of the _n_'s in Inn so that it had to be painted out and done over. Veronica, her duties finished for the time being, sallied out of doors and approaching Philip looked curiously at his work. "There's nothing the matter with that," she said encouragingly, and the others came down from the piazza to praise the painter. Miss Emerson followed, but she looked at the sign doubtfully. "One can't help being sensitive, can one?" she said to Gayne. "And the wind blows so hard all the time up here, I'm afraid that sign is going to squeak." "Show me your window," said Philip good-naturedly, "and I'll see if we can't avoid it." So they all went around to the back of the house where Philip had his ladder waiting and the sign was finally placed to the satisfaction of everybody except Miss Emerson, who considered it on probation.