It was the dread and shrinking at the thought of this meeting which robbed the spring days of their keenest joy, and although she would be happy sometimes, the happiness was certain to be followed by fits of black depression, especially after the doing of a long portage.
There was a long, low shed at Seal Cove, where all the fish oil, whalebone, blubber, ivory, skins, and other produce of the sea harvest were stored pending ocean shipment.

Jervis Ferrars had a small office railed off from one end of this unsavoury shed, and he was sitting in it writing, one afternoon in early May, when he saw Katherine's boat coming across from Fort Garry.

He had been looking for it any time within the last hour, and had begun to wonder that it was so long delayed.

But it was coming at last, and putting on his cap he locked his office and went out to hail the boat.

This was no birchbark journey broken by weary toiling to and fro on a portage trail, but Katherine and Phil were seated in one of the good, solid boats turned out by Astor M'Kree, and both of them looked even brighter than usual.
"Are you coming home with us ?" Katherine asked, as she came within speaking distance and saw that Jervis had his birchbark by a towrope.
"That is my desire, if you will have me," he said.
"With pleasure.