When the evening fire was lighted, her mood changed so that one might have supposed that another fire had been lighted somewhere in the interior of her mental organism. Her fine eyes glistened, her cheeks gently reddened, and her whole body became animated with an energy created by warm emotions.
“I have something I wish to say to you all,” she exclaimed, as she reached the fire. “Where is Arthur? Will somebody please call him? And I would like to see both the guides. It is something very important that I have to say. Mrs. Perkenpine will be here in a moment; I asked her to come. If Mr. Matlack is not quite ready, can he not postpone what he is doing? I am sure you will all be interested in what I have to say, and I do not want to begin until every one is here.”
Mr. Archibald saw that she was very much in earnest, and so he sent for the guides, and Clyde went to call Raybold.
In a few minutes Clyde returned and told Corona that her brother had said he did not care to attend services that evening.
“Where is he?” asked Miss Raybold.
“He is sitting over there looking out upon the lake,” replied Clyde.
“I will be back almost immediately,” said she to Mr. Archibald, “and in the mean time please let everybody assemble.”
Arthur Raybold was in no mood to attend services of any sort. He had spent nearly the whole day trying to get a chance to speak to Margery, but never could he find her alone.
“If I can once put the matter plainly to her,” he said to himself, “she will quickly perceive what it is that I offer her; and when she clearly sees that, I will undertake to make her accept it. She is only a woman, and can no more withstand me than a mound of sand built by a baby’s hand could withstand the rolling wave.”
At this moment Corona arrived and told him that she wanted him at the camp-fire. He was only a man, and could no more withstand her than a mound of sand built by a baby’s hand could withstand the rolling wave.