Phil’s news, had puzzled Katherine a great deal.  It seemed so strange to her that Jervis Ferrars should go off to the rough, dangerous work of fishing off the shores of the inhospitable Twins if he were really engaged to Mary.  His absence from Seal Cove would mean that someone would have to do his work there, as the boats coming in had to have their cargoes totalled and entered, while the drying, sorting, and packing needed constant supervision.  Perhaps some little ghost of a hope crept into her heart that morning; at any rate, the pull up river seemed easier, and it was not such hard work as usual doing the second portage, even though she had to carry the wooden boxes, with the jars of marmalade for Mrs. M’Kree, swung across her own shoulders, a heavy, uncomfortable burden to be carried through the hot sunshine.

Backwards and forwards they went along the portage path, but they did not have to carry the boat, fortunately, as a birchbark belonging to Astor M’Kree was always available for their use on the long portage—­a great convenience this, as Katherine and Phil would hardly have managed the burden of the boat between them.  Mrs. M’Kree as usual received Katherine literally with open arms, and pressed her to remain on her way back for tea.  This invitation Katherine would have promptly refused, but for an appealing look from Phil, whose courage regarding a meeting with his enemy was fast evaporating.

“You are very kind.  We ought to be back about four o’clock, then perhaps we can stay for an hour,” Katherine said, accepting on Phil’s behalf, although her own desires were solely and entirely for getting home as fast as she could.

“A regular brick you are, Katherine!” exclaimed Phil, as they settled themselves in the birchbark for the journey up to the long portage.  “I just wish to be as late home as possible this evening, and then most likely I shall be tired enough to want to go to bed directly I get there.”

“It strikes me that it is not your strength which is likely to give out, but your nerve,” Katherine answered with a laugh; then went on in a graver tone:  “I don’t scold you when you play monkey tricks, as you did yesterday, but it is hard work not to despise you when I see you trying to escape the consequences of what you have done by sneaking off to bed, pretending you are tired, when in reality you are only afraid.”

Phil reddened, looked dreadfully ashamed of himself for about two minutes, then said in a cheerful tone:  “It is rather nice of me to be willing to play round with those sticky M’Kree babies, as if I were a kid myself.”

“I suppose it is; yet down underneath I dare say you rather like the playing round, as you call it,” laughed Katherine, and then she worked on in silence up the solitary reaches of the river, with the glaring sunshine on her unsheltered back, and swarms of flies tormenting her unprotected face and neck.  These last became such an intolerable nuisance after a time, that she was forced to swathe herself in a hot and cumbering veil.