ike you when you're ironical," Mrs. Halliday rejoined, and
looking up saw that Evelyn had come in. She wondered how long the girl
had been there.

"You don't look as if you were satisfied with your visit to Langrigg,
Lance," Evelyn said as she sat down.

"I'm resigned."

"That's different from being satisfied. But you were plucky. The
matter must have needed tactful management; Miss Winter is attractive."

"Jim is not going to marry her, if that is what you mean; he stated he
had not thought about it," Mordaunt said bluntly.

Evelyn laughed. "Then, it's probably true. If he had meant to marry
Miss Winter, he would have said so, even if he thought you disapproved.
Jim is very much of a Dearham."

"Is this an advantage or a drawback?"

"I don't know," said Evelyn. "It marks the difference between him and
us. We're fastidious and complex; the Dearhams are simple and firm."

"A cruder type?"

"Not altogether. Strength and simplicity are dignified. You're an
artist and know the value of bold, austere line."

"My notion is, Jim is not as simple as he looks."

"That's rather cheap," Evelyn remarked. "I meant the simplicity of the
old Greeks."

"Theirs was cultivated; Jim's is not."

"There are things one does better by instinct than study," said Evelyn,
smiling. "But I'm getting bored. Let's talk about something else."

Soon afterwards, Mordaunt drove back to Dryholm, where Bernard had
built his ambitious house. Mordaunt had no occupation and generally
stopped at Dryholm. There was plenty of room and although the old man
was often ironical Mordaunt imagined he liked to have him about. The
rain had stopped, the wet road was smooth, and as the car ran past the
yellow stubble fields he gave himself to thought.

It was plain that Mrs. Halliday meant to make a friend of Jim and her
object was not hard to see since Langrigg gave its owner some
importance. Evelyn was curious about Jim; Mordaunt did not know if he
attracted her, but the possibility of ruling at Langrigg had no doubt
some charm. She would toy with the idea.

Mordaunt was not in love with Evelyn, but they agreed in many ways, and
he had for some time weighed the advantages his marrying her would
bring. She was his cousin, but cousins did marry now and then, and
since the marriage would consolidate family interests, he imagined
their relations would approve. In fact, he had imagined Mrs. Halliday
knew his views and he could count on