it needs a
reply."

Mrs. Keith made a sign of agreement. "On the whole," she said
pointedly, "I should imagine that to be a wise decision."

On reaching Saguenay, Mrs. Keith spent the first morning sitting
outside her hotel. Rugged mountains with dark belts of pines
straggling up their sides were spread about her, but she gave the wild
grandeur of the landscape scanty attention as she consulted the
engagement book in her hand. It contained a list of the friends she
wished to entertain and the visits she had thought of making in England
during the winter, and she wondered which could be shortened and whom
she could put off, because it might be desirable to spend some time in
Shropshire.

Margaret Keith was a strong-willed woman who had led a busy life, but
now, when she had resolved to retire into the background and rest, it
looked as if she might again be forced to take an active part in
affairs. She had enjoyed her Canadian trip, but during the last week
or two it had begun to lose its interest, and she was conscious of a
call to be up and doing. She suspected Mrs. Chudleigh, she doubted
Sedgwick, and she was disturbed by the way the unfortunate affair on
the Indian frontier had cropped up again. Somehow, she felt Colonel
Challoner's peace was threatened, which could not be permitted. For
many years she had cherished a warm liking for him, and long ago, when
he was a young lieutenant, she could have made him hers. Family
arrangements, complicated by the interests of landed property, had,
however, stood in the way. Challoner was not free to marry as he
pleased; he had been taught that the desire of the individual must be
subordinated to the welfare of the line, and when he first met Margaret
Keith, who was beautiful then, it was too late for him to rebel. She
let him go, but he had always had a place in her heart, and now they
were firm and trusted friends.

During her stay at Saguenay, Mrs. Chudleigh made two or three attempts
to extract some further information about the Challoners but without
success, and one day, soon after she had left, Mrs. Keith sent
Millicent for a list of steamer sailings.

"This place is very pretty, but we have been here some time and I'm
beginning to think of home," she said.

"One of the Empresses sails next week," said Millicent, returning with
the card. "Mr. Gordon told me this morning that Mrs. Chudleigh went in
the _Salmatian_ the day before he left Quebec."

"Did s