she had shown her that
one could go too far. She would think twice before she attempted to
bully her again, especially before other people. She stooped down and
began to gather up the broken pieces of earthenware scattered about her
feet. Her movement broke the spell which had held the three men
paralyzed as men always are in the presence of quarreling women.

"I reckon I might be cleaning myself," said Taylor, rising from his
chair. "Time's getting on. You're coming, Ben?"

"Yes, I'm coming. I suppose you'll take the mare?"

"Yep, that's what Ed said this morning."

They went out toward the stables without a word to Nora.

"Well, are you enjoying the land of promise as much as you said that I
should?" Hornby asked with a smile.

"We've both made our beds, I suppose we must lie in them," said Nora,
shaking the broken pieces out of her apron into a basket that stood in
the corner.

"Do you remember that afternoon at Miss Wickham's when I came for the
letter to your brother?"

"I hadn't much intention of coming to Canada then myself."

"Well, I don't mind telling you that I mean to get back to England the
very first opportunity that comes," he said, pacing up and down the
floor. "I'm willing to give away my share of the White Man's Burden with
a package of chewing gum."

"You prefer the Effete East?" smiled Nora, putting a couple of irons on
the stove.

"Ra-ther. Give me the degrading influence of a decadent civilization
every time."

"Your father _will_ be pleased to see you, won't he?"

"I don't think! Of course I was a damned fool ever to leave Winnipeg."

"I understand you didn't until you had to."

"Say," said Hornby, pausing in his walk, "I want to tell you: your
brother behaved like a perfect brick. I sent him your letter and told
him I was up against it--d'you know I hadn't a bob? I was jolly glad to
earn half a dollar digging a pit in a man's garden. Bit thick, you
know!"

"I can see you," laughed Nora.

"Your brother sent me the fare to come on here and told me I could do
the chores. I didn't know what they were. I soon found it was doing all
the jobs it wasn't anybody else's job to do. And they call it God's own
country!"

"I think you're falling into the _ways_ of the country very well,
however!" retorted Nora as she struggled across to the table with the
heavy ironing-board.

"Do you? What makes you think that?"

"You can stand there and smoke your pipe and watch me carry the
ironi