Part 14 (1/2)
There was plenty to interest the travellers now on the left bank of the river; the fish shed showed a weather-beaten front to the broad waters of the bay, while beyond it, perched on a high bluff, was a fanny brown house, with a strange-looking wing built out at the side
”Feather, look at that house, and the queer building at the side; what is it?” cried Mary, as flushed and eager; for to her this entrance to Roaring Water River was like coh it was not land her father owned in these parts, but water, or at least the privilege to fish in the water, and the right to cut the ti of his boats
”It looks uncommonly like part of an old boat Well, if it is Astor M'Kree's work, it would seeot a man ill make the best use of the materials at hand,” Mr Selincourt replied, in a tone of satisfaction
”Here comes a woman; oh, please, we ure e down the steep path to the water's edge, gesticulating and shouting
”Welcome, sir, and welcome, Miss, to Seal Cove!” cried Mrs Jenkin in a breathless tone ”We are all hted to have you here, and you will be sure to come and have tea with me on your first spare afternoon,” she panted, in hospitable haste, the sun shi+ning down on her dusty, unkes in her dress
Mr Selincourt looked at his daughter in quiet amusement; but Mary rose to the occasion in a , and answered with sweet graciousness:
”Oh! I will be sure to coet ht, you know, and that may take me a few days, so perhaps I will drop down the river so on Then you must promise to cohted! You won'tthe babies, will you? There are only three of theo out I'm forced to take the at the young lady froland, and serenely oblivious of the defects in her own toilet
”I shall be charmed to entertain the babies, and I will be sure to come and see you very soon,” called Mary, as the boatfrom the bank
”What a nice little woman, and how friendly and kind in her hed
”Has Canada bewitched you already? What is to beco to hobnob with anyone whowith fun, for he was quoting frohed too, then said apologetically: ”It sounds the most fearful snobbery to even mention class distinctions in these wilds, where the only aristocracy that counts is nobility of endeavour But I could not reckon myself that woman's superior, Father, because under the saht have been even more untidy and down-at-heel than she is”
”It is hard to realize that you could be untidy under any conditions, but perhaps you ht be if you had all the work of a house and the care of three babies on your hands,” Mr Selincourt replied with a shake of his head Then he applied himself to a careful study of the river banks, which were houses showed a near to so up her hand
”Near to the end of our journey as well, for we stop below the portage,” Mr Selincourt said, and then the boat swept round the bend, and they saw before theht stretch of river, with houses visible at the far end where theover the rocks
”So that is Roaring Water Portage! Well, the place is as pretty as the nah of content, and then she sat in silence while the boats swept up the last stretch of river, and the long, long journey was done
The boat the store and its outbuildings on the right Oily Dave had told theh they did not see it at the first , the well-trodden path up froe showed that it must be near at hand
”There it is But it does not look a bit new Oh, I aht, with glass s and an unpainted front door, which just now stood wide open, while two s dolls' bonnets frorass
”I' there,” said Mr Selincourt: and the two s at thisto their feet and fled into the house, casting the millinery away as they went
”I'o and enquire where our house is to be found,” Mary answered
Then they walked up to the door and knocked, and iure ca to either hand
”Can you tell us where Mr Selincourt's house is to be found?” asked Mary, wondering why the girl had such sad eyes, and what relation she could be to the two little ones
”This is Mr Selincourt's house I caht order, that is all,” the sad-eyed girl-or was she a wo back for Mary to enter
Miss Selincourt entered, put her bag on the table, and gazed round with a deep sigh of satisfaction