“Then there came a bazaar, a great bazaar, and the Rector invited us, and said all the Northburians would be there.  What do you think mother did?  She returned their calls on that day.  She knew they’d be out, and they were.  Wasn’t that a dead cut, Loftie?”

“Rather,” responded Loftus.

He rose slowly, looked deliberately at Kate, and then closed his lips.

“Mother is away, so we won’t discuss her,” said Kate.  “Run and pack the picnic basket, Mabel, and then we’ll be off.”

The picturesque little town of Northbury was built on the slope of a hill.  This hill gently descended to the sea.  Nowhere was there to be found a more charming, landlocked harbor than at Northbury.  It was a famous harbor for boating.  Even at low tide people could get on the water, and in the summer time this gay sheet of dark blue sparkling waves had many small yachts, fishing smacks, and row-boats of all sizes and descriptions skimming about on its surface.  In the spring a large fishing trade was done here, and then the steamers whistle? and shrieked, and disturbed the primitive harmony of the place.  But by midsummer the great shoals of mackerel went away, and with them the dark picturesque hookers, and the ugly steamers, and the inhabitants were once more left to their sleepy, old-fashioned, but withal pleasant life.

Rosendale Manor was situated on high ground.  It was surrounded by a wall, and the wide avenue was entered by ponderous iron gates.  It was about eleven o’clock when the girls and their brother started gayly off for their day on the water.  Loftus carried a couple of rugs, so that the fact of Mabel lugging a heavy picnic basket on her sturdy left arm did not look specially remarkable.  They went down a steep and straggling hill, passed through an old-fashioned green, with the local club at one side, and a wall at the other which seemed to hang right over the sea.

They soon reached the Long Quay, and made their bargain for the best boat to be had.  A man of the name of Driver kept many boats for hire, and he offered now to accompany the young party and show off the beauties of the place.

This, however, Mabel would not hear of.  They must go alone or not at all.  Loftus did not like to own to his very small nautical experience; the sea was smooth and shining, and apparently free from all danger, and the little party embarked gayly, and put out on their first cruise in high spirits.

Miss Peters and Mrs. Butler watched them with intense interest from their bay window.  Miss Peters had possession of the spy-glass.  With this held steadily before her eyes, she shouted observations to her sister.

“There they go!  No, Dan Driver is not going with them!  Any one can see by the way that young man handles the oar that he doesn’t know a great deal about the water.  Good gracious, Martha, they’re taking a sail with them!  Now I do call that tempting Providence.  That young man has a very elegant figure, Martha, but mark my words he knows nothing at all about the management of a boat.  The girls know still less.”