There was a long, low shed at Seal Cove, where all the fish oil, whalebone, blubber, ivory, skins, and other produce of the sea harvest were stored pending ocean shipment.  Jervis Ferrars had a small office railed off from one end of this unsavoury shed, and he was sitting in it writing, one afternoon in early May, when he saw Katherine’s boat coming across from Fort Garry.  He had been looking for it any time within the last hour, and had begun to wonder that it was so long delayed.  But it was coming at last, and putting on his cap he locked his office and went out to hail the boat.  This was no birchbark journey broken by weary toiling to and fro on a portage trail, but Katherine and Phil were seated in one of the good, solid boats turned out by Astor M’Kree, and both of them looked even brighter than usual.

“Are you coming home with us?” Katherine asked, as she came within speaking distance and saw that Jervis had his birchbark by a towrope.

“That is my desire, if you will have me,” he said.

“With pleasure.  You shall be company, and sit in the place of honour,” Katherine said with a laugh, feeling that the occasion had somehow become festive, even though two miles of rowing against the current lay in front of her.  “Phil, move that bundle from the seat and let Mr. Ferrars sit there; he will be more comfortable.”

“Thank you, I don’t want to sit there, and if I can’t do as I like I shall get into the birchbark and paddle you up river on a towrope, which will jerk you horribly, and probably capsize me,” said Jervis, with an obstinate air.

“What do you wish to do?” she asked demurely.

“I wish to sit where you are sitting now,” he answered.  “Then I will row you up river and give you a necessary lesson in steering; for don’t you remember how nearly you upset us into the bank the last time but one that I rowed you up?”

Katherine flushed, but there was a laughing light in her eyes as she replied:  “Oh yes!  I remember perfectly well, but that was quite as much your fault as mine, for you were telling us of your experiences in that Nantucket whaler, and they were quite thrilling enough to make anyone forget to steer.”

“There shall be no such temptation to forgetfulness to-day; that I can safely promise you,” he answered, holding the boat steady while Katherine moved to the other seat.  Then, tying his birchbark on behind, he stepped into the vacant place and commenced to pull up stream with long, steady strokes.

“You were a long time at the Fort to-day,” he remarked presently.

“Yes, Mrs. M’Crawney is ill, and it was only common humanity to do what I could for her,” Katherine answered gravely, for poor Mrs. M’Crawney had made her heart ache that day, because of the terrible discomfort in which the poor woman was lying, and the homesickness for old Ireland which seemed to oppress her.

“I thought she looked ill the other day when I was over there, but she would not admit it.  I wanted to tell her that less hot pastry and more fresh air would work a cure perhaps; but it does not do to thrust one’s opinion unasked upon people, especially when one is only a doctor in intention and not in reality,” Jervis said, with a tug at the oars which expressed a good many things.