As in duty bound, she decided to take counsel with the others, although her own mind was fully made up with regard to Mr. Selincourt’s offer.  Life in some other more civilized place would probably be easier and pleasanter for herself.  Such work as she had to do now was labour for men, and by no means suitable for women or girls.  But it was not herself she had to think of first in this case; Miles and Phil were the ones to be considered here, and she determined that the light in which Miles regarded the question should be the standpoint from which she would view it too.  By this time she was quite satisfied in her own mind of her ability to keep the business working in a profitable manner; but if she were to venture upon earning a living for the six who were dependent upon her efforts in some other way, she would not be so sure of herself, and to doubt might be to fail.

It was not easy to get time to confer all together in that busy household, but by good fortune a chance occurred that very evening, and Katherine took it thankfully enough, knowing that it might be long before such an opportunity came again.  Her father had gone to bed, tired out with his day of sitting and walking in the sunshine, and was sleeping peacefully.  The twins had also been put to rest, and were droning themselves to sleep in a drowsy sing-song duet with which they always filled the house before subsiding into their nightly slumber.

“Don’t go to bed for a few minutes, Phil; I want to talk to you.  We have got to have a family conclave,” said Katherine, as Phil, with a mighty yawn, was turning his steps to the ladder which led to the loft.

“What’s a conclave?  And it is no use going on at me about that bucket of water I tilted over down the ladder on to Nick Jones; it stood so handy, and wanted such a little push, that I just could not help doing it,” the boy answered in a sullen tone.  He had been in mischief on board the steamer, escaping with a warning from the captain and a lecture from Mrs. Burton; but he was by no means repentant yet, although perhaps a trifle apprehensive of the form of reprisal which Nick Jones might choose to take.

Katherine laughed.  She had been in mischief herself too often when at Phil’s age not to feel sympathy with him on the score of the prank he had played that afternoon.  It was this same sympathetic understanding of their moods and actions which gave her so much influence with the boys, enabling her to twist them round her little finger, as Miles expressed it.

“A conclave is a talk, discussion, or argument, but it has nothing to do with your getting into mischief, Phil.  It was a great temptation, as you say, and I expect that in your place I should have longed to do the same.  Only there is another side from which to view the business, and that is the side of Nick Jones.  No doubt he feels a bit ruffled, and if he thrashes you for your impudence, or ducks you in the river, why, you will just have to take it lying down.”