There were lights twinkling in and about the store when they reached it, and Katherine laughed to see how Phil crept past the door of the store, making for the entrance to the house instead.

But she did not call him back, being quite willing to shield his retreat so far as she could possibly do so, for a ducking at that time in the evening would not be pleasant; moreover, Mrs. Burton would have his clothes to dry, which was another consideration of importance just then.

Nick Jones was not in the store when she entered, and she noticed at once that the crowd of evening loungers was less than usual.  They were busily talking, too, and although they all bade her a civil good evening, went on with their talk where they had dropped it.

“Mr. Ferrars came up to see you this evening,” Miles whispered, when she went to help him with some boxes which were beyond his reach.

“To see me?” Katherine asked in surprise.

“Yes, he even went over the portage to see if you were coming, but he could not wait, because the Mary sailed with the evening tide,” answered Miles.

CHAPTER XXIV

Mr. Selincourt is Confidential

The hot colour flamed in Katherine’s cheeks; but no one saw it, for her back was to the group of men talking by the store door, and Miles had turned round to put on the counter the box which she had reached down for him.

“Why did Mr. Ferrars wish to see me?” she asked, striving successfully to make her voice steady.  Of course it might have been that Jervis wanted to see her on some matter of business connected with the store; but in any case, and whatever his errand, it was pleasant to think that he had come up the river on purpose to see her.

“I don’t know, he didn’t say; but he carried himself with as much swaggering importance as if it were he, and not Mr. Selincourt, who intended buying up as much of Roaring Water Portage as he could lay hands upon,” Miles answered, in a grumpy tone.  The group of men at the door had moved outside, where it was cooler, so brother and sister were for the moment alone.

“I don’t think Mr. Ferrars ever put on much side,” protested Katherine, taking up the cudgels in defence of the absent one, although there was an increased heaviness in her heart as she reflected that perhaps, after all, he was betrothed to Mary Selincourt, and hence the inward elation resulting in the outward swagger.

“Oh, he could, sometimes!” went on Miles, who appeared to be in rather a bad temper just then.  “I suppose he is going to marry Miss Selincourt, and that is why he puts on such a fearful lot of cheek.  Downright horrid money-grubbing, I call it, for before she came he was always——­”

“Always what?” demanded Katherine sharply.  Her voice sounded a trifle muffled, because for some reason or other she had stuffed her head and shoulders in a bean bin, and was measuring beans in a desperate hurry, which seemed a rather unnecessary task, as she had no orders to fill.