Solitary Island, Chapters IV-V [pp. 358-379]

378 SOLITARY JsLAKD. [Dec.,
"Can you conceive anything more. lonely than such a sight?"
said Ruth; "that solitary man standing in such a solitude and
going back through that gloomy wood to his lonely home. How
does he stand it?"
I think him a saint," said Mrs. Winifred so emphatically that
Ruth looked at her in surprise.
On their way across the bay a cutter came skipping along at
a fierce rate, and from beneath a pile of buffaloes and furs P~re
Rougevin's smiling face looked out as he stopped to greet them.
"Nothing decided in the council yet," said he, "except that
the supper was exceptional and that I was invincible in whist.
A sick-call took me away early, leaving the squire and Mr. ~Val.
lace to the enjoyment of the liquids; but I shall visit you some
time for a talk, though matters must be pretty well settled by
the time a lady mentions such a thing to her friends." And he
drove off laughing.
Mrs. Buck had tea on the table when they returned, and was
ready with all sorts of questions about their drive and business,
which Ruth eluded for an hour and which Mrs. Winifred laughed
at without answering at all, while Mr. Buck was snubbed for endeavoring to put a stop to the How of liis wife's questions.
Sara's perseverance would have succeeded in eliciting every
particular of the afternoon but for the unexpected appearance
of Billy from the whist.party in a state of speechless delight.
There was a beaming smile lodged in every wrinkle of his countenance as he opened the door and appeared among them, waving
his hand as if to accompany unuttered speech and looking oceans
of benevolence on every one about him.
Mrs. Buck and her family vanished like mist before him and
went speedily home, and Ruth felt a strange misgiving as to the
total results of the afternoon's council when a part of it was so
~peechlessly affected. Billy mumbled and waved his hand
through the room to the delight of Mrs. Winifred, who translated his speech very aptly for Ruth.
"Yes, yes, my little man, seemingly you've settled it all to the
satisfaction of every one. Didn't I tell you so? That's right.
Bring down your fist on the porcelain; the crash and the cost
will strengthen the argument."
Billy sat down with his face in a muscular uproar. He had
several ideas all struggling to express themselves-mirth, rage,
triumph, and war; but not a feature would obey, and the winking of eyes and the lifting and falling of eyebrows, the puckerings
of the mouth into severity and then relaxation into a benevolent