It was Mr. Cravath, and with him the two friends whom Steve had liked best of all who had been in Mr. Cravath’s parties.  It was the joy of the sudden surprise which prevented Steve’s giving his customary close attention to Mr. Cravath’s somewhat vague description of the party he had brought this time.

“You must arrange for eight, Steve,” he said.  “There may not be quite so many.  One or two of the fellows I hoped for have not arrived, and it is too late to wait long for any one.  If they are not here by day after to-morrow we will start.—­And oh, Steve,” he continued, with an affected careless ease, but all the while eying Steve’s face anxiously, “I forgot to mention that I have brought my wife along this time.  She positively refused to let me off.  She said she was tired of hearing so much about the Adirondacks!  She was coming this time to see for herself.  You needn’t have the least fear about having her along!  She’s as good a traveller as I am, every bit; I’ve had her in training at it for thirty years, and I tell her, old as we are, we are better campers than most of the young people.”

“That’s so, Mr. Cravath,” replied Steve, his countenance clouded and his voice less joyous, “I’ll answer for it with you; but do you think, sir, any lady could go where we went last year?”

In his heart Steve was saying to himself:  “The idea of bringing an old woman out here!  I wouldn’t do it for anybody in the world but Mr. Cravath.”

“My wife can go anywhere and do anything that I can, Steve,” said Mr. Cravath.  “You need not begin to look blue, Steve; and if you back out, or serve us any of your woman-hating tricks, such as I’ve heard of, I’ll never speak to you again,—­never.”

“I wouldn’t serve you any trick, Mr. Cravath, you know that,” replied Steve, proudly; “and I haven’t the least idea of backing out.  But I am afraid Mrs. Cravath will be disappointed,” he added, as he went down the steps, and luckily did not turn his head to see Mr. Cravath’s face covered with the laughter he had been restraining during the last few moments.

“Caught him, by Jove!” he said, turning to his companion, a tall dark-faced man,—­“caught him, by Jove, Randall!  He never once thought to ask of what sex the other members of the party might be.  He took it for granted my wife was to be the only woman.”

“Do you think that was quite fair, Cravath?” replied Mr. Randall.  “He would never have taken us in the world if he had known there were three women in the party.”

“Pshaw!” laughed Mr. Cravath.  “Good enough for him for having such a crotchet in his head.  We’ll take it out of him this trip.”

“Or set it stronger than ever,” said Mr. Randall.  “My mind misgives me.  We shall wish we had not done it.  He may turn sulky and unmanageable on our hands when he finds himself trapped.”

“I’ll risk it,” said Mr. Cravath, confidently.  “If I can’t bring him around, Helen Wingate will.  I never saw the man, woman, child, or dumb beast yet that could resist her.”