"It takes them as knows these waters to understand the fishing of them, sir, and your grand drawing-room, bandbox manager would have been pretty hard put to it many a time to know what to do for the best, if it hadn't been for Oily Dave, which is me." "I see," remarked Mr.Selincourt in a calm and casual tone, then continued with quiet authority: "Please tell Mr.Ferrars when he comes back that I have arrived, and ask him if he will come up to Roaring Water Portage as soon as it is convenient for him to do so." "Wouldn't you like me to come and guide you up the river ?" demanded Oily Dave, his jaw dropping in a crestfallen manner, for he had thought what a fine chance he would have of getting ahead of Jervis Ferrars.
"No, thank you, we have travelled too many strange waters these last few days to need guidance up the last two miles of our Journey.

It is two miles, is it not ?" "Nearer three, sir, but we mostly call it two, because it sounds better," said Oily Dave.

Then he took his greasy old hat off with a flourish to Mary, and the boats started on again up the main channel of the river.
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, who was flushed and eager; for to her this entrance to Roaring Water River was like coming into her kingdom, although 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 timber needed for the making of his boats.
"It looks uncommonly like part of an old boat.

Well, if it is Astor M'Kree's work, it would seem as if I have got a man who will make the best use of the materials at hand," Mr.Selincourt replied, in a tone of satisfaction.
"Here comes a woman; oh, please, we must stop and speak to her!" said Mary, as a slatternly figure emerged from the house on the bluff, and came running 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 most dreadfully delighted 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 shining down on her dusty, unkempt hair, and revealing the rags in her dress.
Mr.Selincourt looked at his daughter in quiet amusement; but Mary rose to the occasion in a manner worthy of the country in which she was living, and answered with sweet graciousness: "Oh! I will be sure to come; thank you so much for asking me: but I have got to get my house straight, you know, and that may take me a few days, so perhaps I will drop down the river some morning while it is cool, and let you know how I am getting on.