that result, but it
seemed to her distinctly more fitting that Miss Townshead should be the
one to wait.

Ten minutes later Alton rode up at a gallop. "Sorry I couldn't come
before, but I was over at Thomson's borrowing a new trolling spoon," he
said. "Jimmy's too slow for anything, and I had to look at a span of
oxen he'd been buying."

"It seems to me that leisureliness is a characteristic of the country,"
said the girl.

Alton glanced at her with a faint twinkle in his eyes. "Now if you
feel vexed with me, look at the horse," said he. "Anyway, the canoe's
ready and the lake all rippling, and I've one of the new flight-hook
spoons."

Miss Deringham, who saw the spume upon the bit and the horse's whitened
sides, smiled graciously, and decided that Nellie Townshead's message
could very well wait until the evening.

"I will be ready in about five minutes," she said.

She kept the man waiting twenty, possibly because she believed it would
be a salutary discipline, and was not displeased to notice that he
stamped impatiently up and down. Then she went down with him to the
lake, and it was dusk when they returned with several fine trout, in
the state of content with each other which occasionally characterizes
comrades in a successful angling expedition. They had also so much to
talk about that Miss Deringham completely forgot the message, and her
pleasure was only dissipated when she met her father alone for a
minute. His pose expressed dejection and indecision as he came towards
her along the verandah.

"You do not look well," she said.

"That," said Deringham dryly, "is quite possible. Things are not going
well with me just now."

"Business worries?" said the girl.

Deringham nodded. "And domestic too, if the affairs of Carnaby come
under that heading. In fact, I am hemmed in by difficulties I cannot
see a way through, and to make it worse Alton will come to no decision
until he has sent somebody over to report upon the property. I have
wondered now and then if he was talking altogether at random when he
told you that he was willing to give it you."

"Of course!" said his daughter, smiling outwardly to cover her
indignation. "It would be preposterous to think that I could accept
such a favour even if he had the slightest intention of relinquishing
his claim!"

"Yes," said Deringham dryly. "Still, I fancy there are young women who
would not disdain to be mistress of Carnaby."

The girl stra