ry to go down into
Devonshire next day, where his responsibilities had begun
to make a direct and persistent attack upon him. It was
the first time he had yielded, and he could not help
being amused by the remembrance, in the train, of Elfrida's
solemn warning about the danger of his growing typical
and going into Parliament. A middle-aged country gentleman
with broad shoulders and a very red neck occupied the
compartment with him, and handled the _Times_ as if the
privilege of reading it were one of the few the democratic
spirit of the age had left to his class. Kendal scanned
him with interest and admiration and pleasure. It was an
excellent thing that England's backbone should be composed
of men like that, he thought and he half wished he were
not so consciously undeserving of national vertebral
honors himself--that Elfrida's warnings had a little more
basis of probability. Not that he wanted to drop his
work, but a man owed something to his country, especially
when he had what they called a stake in it--to establish
a home perhaps, to marry, to have children growing up
about him. A man had to think of his old age. He told
himself that he must be the lightest product of a flippant
time, since these things did not occur to him more
seriously; and he threw himself into all that had to be
done upon "the place," when he arrived at it, with an
energy that disposed its real administrators to believe
that his ultimate salvation as a landlord was still
possible.

He was talking to Janet Cardiff at one of Lady Halifax's
afternoon teas a fortnight later, when their hostess
advanced toward them interrogatively. "While I think of
it, Janet," said she laying a mittened hand on Miss
Cardiff's arm, "what has become of your eccentric little
American friend? I sent her a card a month ago, and we've
neither heard nor seen anything of her."

"Elfrida Bell--oh, she's out of town, Lady Halifax, and
I am rather desolate without her--we see so much of her,
you know. But she will be back soon--I dare say I will
be able to bring her next Thursday. How delicious this
coffee is! I shall have another cup, if it keeps me awake
for a week. Oh, you got my note about the concert, dear
lady?"

Kendal noticed the adroitness of her chatter with amusement.
Before she had half finished Lady Halifax had taken an
initial step toward moving off, and Janet's last words
received only a nod and a smile for reply.

"You know, then?" said he, when