"Oh, you can have fourteen or fifteen hours of it, if you wish," replied Kate, mischievously, suspecting the reason for his question. "But I've been planning a little variation that, because, of course, you see nothing of the country in traveling by lake, and I want you to see some of our really pretty places by the way; and besides, the Armstrongs, our Port Hope cousins, want to have a glimpse of you, of course, and would like us all to give them a day, at least, _en route_. And my plan is, that we take the lake steamer to Port Hope, which we reach in a lovely hour,--just in the gloaming, as Flora would say. We can all stay with the Armstrongs, for they have a good large house and some of the family are away; and we can have some very pretty drives about Port Hope next day. And then, the following morning, we can take the train, and go by the 'Grand Trunk' to a pretty little town called Belleville, on a charming bay called the Bay of Quinte, on which we can have a lovely sail down to Kingston. That will be better than spending the night on the lake--seeing nothing of the scenery and having to turn out of our berths at the unearthly hour of four o'clock in the morning, which is about the time the steamboat from Toronto arrives at that good old city."
"That's a splendid plan, Cousin Kate," exclaimed both Hugh and Flora at once. "What a schemer you are, to be sure," continued Hugh. "I don't know how we should ever get on without you."
May had been sitting by, silently watching the little group, as she had rather a way of doing; Kate's bright face, Hugh's more reserved and sensitive one,--yet seeming so much more animated and healthful than when she had first met him, only a few days ago,--and Flora's sweet, rosy, good-humored countenance,--they made a pleasant picture. How much better Hugh seemed already, and how much he seemed to depend on Kate! May was much addicted to weaving little romances for the people about her,--often on very slender foundation,--and she had already begun to weave one for her cousin. How well they would supplement each other, she thought,--Kate's quick, practical sense and Hugh's more contemplative tendencies. From which it will be seen that May was somewhat given to theories, as well as to modern fiction.