Lady Merton, Colonist

he ensuing sixteen hours for inqu

the window in a brown study. He was armed with a dusting brush and a white

atter, Yerkes? Wha

looke

d slowly--"A sink-hole, well,

wha

"And there's no contenting her--the more you give her the more she wants. They give her ten trainloads of stuff a couple of months

y hurt? What--a kind

is what they call 'em in these parts. They'll have to divert the line. I tell 'em so,

he spoke in a representativ

ahead of us are

know on--m

beh

r four,

are we likel

s. She don't generally let anyone over h

. Gaddesden say? And i

vercoats with their collars turned up. To the left of the line there was a misty glimpse of water over a foreground of charred stumps. On th

bilation, Yerkes threw down his dusting brush and rushed out of the car. Elizabeth

uation, and the problem of his entertainment would begin. Elizabeth took up the guide-book and with difficulty made out th

--hi

holding something in his hand, and pursued by a man in a slouch hat, who seemed to be swearing. Yerkes dashed int

e passage and demanded t

. "I've only been and milked his cow. No saying where I

he doesn't see

s all righ

y, and Elizabeth had thoughts of bearding him herself and restoring the milk, when some mysterious transaction involving coin passed suddenly between the two men. The Swede stop

of the kitchen, inquired if su

"What they'll do"--a jerk of his thumb toward

cried Lady Merton, delighted at the thought o

owed a st

ree meals. That hasn't nothing to do with me. They don't come poaching on

, and took the thing in hand himself. The crushed Bettany, who was never allowed to finish anything, disa

the inner platform outside the

door to the visitor. Bettany was a small man, with thin harrassed featu

some milk, I think

gh for ourselves. Sorr

to beg some of it. May I

s dressing. The stewar

y in favour of Yerkes, who heari

," said the stranger. "Looks sick, and the mother's been crying. They'

icular, sir. But I've

ckground. "Of course the baby must have it.

tall and fair-skinned, with a blonde moustache, and very blue eyes. He spoke--for an English ear--with t

he child seems very weakly, and the mother herself has nothing to g

y. "May I come with you, if you are going to take

er hesitat

rough sort of place--especially at this early

hing. Yerkes, is t

dy," said Yerkes, nimbl

as she looked at the milk

y. It's a regular little scarecrow. I

drizzle descended on Lady Merton's

the milk carefully in both hands, he held the umbrella over her, and they passed through the groups of passengers who were strolling disconsolately up

rting her. Elizabeth meanwhile was putting questions. How long would they be detained? Her brother with w

hey come to some bottom in the sink-hole," said

. "We may be here

t you'll be t

are some tra

ove you up. They're very vexed

but perceived only that in his own tanned and sunburnt way he was a remarkably handsome well-made fellow, built on a rather larger scale than

steps. He was loth to allow Lady Merton to enter, but Elizabeth persisted. Her companion

g a paper of "Homestead Regulations" which had been given him at Montreal, a lad of eighteen helping him; and close by another lad was writing a letter, his eyes passing dreamily from the paper to the Canadian landscape outside, of which he was clearly not conscious. In a corner, surrounded by three or four other women, was the mother they h

sockets; eyes rather of a race than a person, hardly conscious, hardly individualised, yet most poignant, expressing some feeling, remote and inarticulate, that roused Elizabeth's. She called to the conductor

id Elizabeth with flushed cheeks as they walked ba

nadian

erally bring in quite a fair sum. And after a year or two they begin to be rich. They never spend a farthing they

at him with a shy b

u come to k

d to play with the boys, and learnt a little. The conductor called me in this m

anadian yourself?

orn in M

n love with y

r. As she spoke, her brown eyes lit up, and all her s

adian, rather drily. "It's going to be a

interrupted by a reproa

lady, has bee

lizabeth curiously, lift

ing himself disconsolately into an armchair. "I bet you, Elizabeth,

gular than hers; the chin and nose were childishly tilted, the eyes too prominent. His bright colour, however--(mother and sister could well have dispensed with that touch of vivid red on the cheeks!)--his curly hair, and his boyish wa

m. But she did not try to console him; she look

them was her acquaintance of the morning. Elizabeth, standing on the platform waited till he turned in her

r shy smile broke again--"but do you think t

lau

me going on at this momen

d ask to luncheon?--who'd come

ad. Your cook, Yerkes, is famous on the line. I know two

now them too," cried

ughed

oba, while Lady Merton's pink flush showed her conscious of ha

tunity. It's for my brother. H

nsightly débris, the ugly cutting which blocked the view, and the mists up-curling from the woods; then at the slight figure bes

ly. "Can you tell me--I should like to know--who all these peopl

adian after a moment's hesita

udden that Elizabeth felt a heat rising in her che

urried on, composin

of them. That man in the clerical coat, and the round collar, is Father He

inted one," sa

rised. Elizabeth, proud

d so--with Quebec--to govern you all? And now the English and A

Did they tell yo

stent tone of mockery in the young ma

he said, without no

's turn to redden.

er to look after some big lumber leases he took out last year. And that little man in the Panama hat has been keep

r my brother!" cried Elizabeth,

toy speculation, with a bronzed and brawny person, who watched the young Englishman, as they chatted, out of a pair of humorous eyes. Philip believed himself a great financier, but was not in truth either very shrewd or very daring, and his various coups or losses generally left his exchequer

the moment stopped. She hailed an official passing by, and asked if there

was standing near, came up to t

superintendent. We may get on

ing," sighed Lady Merton. "Well!--I think

steps of the car. Th

, with formality. "I might perhaps be able to

id Elizabeth, cordially. "Do you

harge of some construct

n's face b

e one of the most interestin

s eyebrows li

t," he said, half smiling. "It's good work--but

always been

Klondyke. I made a bit of money--came back--and lost it all, in a milling business--over there"--he pointed eastwards--"on the Lake of the Woods. My partner cheated me. Then I went exploring to the north, and took a Gov

ght some day know what politics meant in Canad

not ma

I ask y

that the word of England to the red man might be kept; and his graphic talk called up before her the vision of a northern wilderness, even wilder and remoter than that she had just passed through, where yet the earth teemed with lakes and timber and trout-bearing streams, and where--"we shall grow corn some day," as he presently informed her. "In twenty years they will have developed seed that will ripen three week

here was no one dependent on

he Government service at O

hey ma

slowly. "They and my mot

yes turned upon him--all s

to escape. It was early morning. I was a boy of eighteen, and was out on the farm doing my

as your

ther i

ere--at the ti

He was

nd she instinctively asked no more questions,

il. It was sometimes used to lig

ently, after a moment, as though she

on a visit to some neighbours at the ti

your f

three

t before she could turn to a

nd. So we had to work it--and we managed. But after three years we'd saved a little money,

brothers when you

n--and f

exclaimed. "You

ughed

one every day in this countr

overed with a magnificent fur rug. A whisky and soda had just been placed at his right hand. Elizabeth thought--"He said that because he had seen

said to her, as they approached the car. "

We have some i

ut if I can--

a packet in his hand. At sight of El

tters here, that have been waiting for you at

n the veiled amusement in his eyes. It seemed to him comic, no doubt, that the idlers of the worl

brother; and they fe

ly, looking up--"Philip! Arthur

eated the young man, la

her voice, as she proceeded to read him the letter she held in h

rious trains made rapid acquaintance with each other; bridge went merrily in more than one car, and the general inconvenience was borne with much philosophy,

n platform, with the Canadian, whom with some di

ssed over first." He pointed to two other trains i

ned to him a

r own sakes--not in the least!--it is for

," he went on, smiling. "They would do anything for you. Perhaps you don't understand. You ar

us?" asked Elizabeth, with her s

laring lights through which they were slowly passing. The line was crowded wi

nd introduced himself. He was worn out with the day's labour, but triu

rning had engulfed half a train; amid the flare of torches, and the murmur of strange speech, from the

es!" cried Elizabeth

han it would have been in an Englishman, at the same stage of acquaintance. But Elizabeth liked it; she liked, too, the fine bare head that the torchlight revealed; and the general