The boat was kept on the other side; so I hallooed to a man engaged in thatching a rick of oats to come and ferry me over.

Without descending from the ladder, he called to some one in the cottage, when, to my surprise, a well-dressed young woman, in rather flowing dress, red jacket, and with her hair tastefully done up in a net a- la-mode, made her appearance.

Descending to the river, she folded up her gown, and, settling herself to the oars, "pushed her light shallop from the shore" with the grace of The Lady of the Lake.

In a few minutes she ran the prow upon the pebbled beach at my feet, and I took my seat at the other end of the boat.

She did it all so naturally, and without any other flush upon her pleasant face than that of the exercise of rowing, that I felt quite easy myself and checked the expression of regret I was on the point of uttering for putting her to such service.