ther ashamed of his lack of enterprise.

But both he and Marmaduke felt that The Woman pressed the case against
them just a little too strongly.

"We'll have to do something to make The Woman mind her own business,
Troop," Marmaduke declared, as they sat by the roaring fire in the
store one chilly afternoon. "She'll ruin our innocent and harmless
reputations if we don't."

So the two put their heads together to plan a just retribution, but
before it could be made to fall, The Woman astonished every one by an
entirely new enterprise. She packed her trunk, and leaving Marthy and
Trooper to take care of themselves, she went away to spend the Winter
on a visit to a sister in California.

But to no one was the night of the concert such a great occasion as it
was to Christina. Wallace Sutherland went back to his studies the next
week, but the vision of his handsome smiling face and his gallant
behaviour remained vividly with her. She was filled with dismay at the
contrast Gavin Grant had presented to him that night. It did not dawn
upon Christina's mind that Gavin would as soon have raised his hand to
Auntie Elspie as to defend himself against poor old Piper Lauchie.
Tilly had whispered that Gavin was scared, and the other girls, with
Joanna's able assistance, emphasised the shameful fact. So when she
saw him after the concert, standing on the edge of the bar of light
that streamed from the hall door, she slipped away as he turned towards
her and escaped with John in the darkness. But Gavin noticed her haste
and interpreted it aright.

The Aunties sent a gay message by John, when he was over at the
Craig-Ellachie threshing, to the effect that Elspie had broken off her
engagement. She had heard that Piper Lauchie had taken to going to the
Methodist church, and they had warned her that they would not abide a
Methodist body in the family. But Christina could not joke about the
Piper with Gavin, she felt he really must be humiliated, when, in fact,
Gavin felt no more at fault than if he had backed out of the way of an
enraged child and dodged his blows.

But indeed Christina was giving him and his affairs very little
thought. Her Dream Knight had taken form, she even knew his name and
his station in life. And though he still rode gaily beyond the horizon
she could not but think of him and wonder when she might see him again.

CHAPTER VI

SAINT VALENTINE'S PRANK

But indeed there was no time for dreams