uch a thing to me
it would only make me the more set to woo her to graciousness," I
said.

"Perhaps so, if she were some girl you specially considered, but in
the case of a passing stranger that I may never meet again, it would
not be worth wasting time, especially as her action was so uncalled
for and unwomanly."

"But you are sure to meet her again if you continue our friendship, as
I hope to have her with me, and that is why I'm taking the trouble to
thus interfere in what does not apparently concern either you or me
very much. _I_ don't consider Dawn as a passing stranger. I think her
especially honest and especially beautiful, and it worries me to think
she has thus erred. Her action was _unwomanly_, if you like, but
peculiarly feminine, with the unavoidable hysterical femininity
engendered in women by their subjected environment. Are you quite sure
you consider Dawn merely a passing stranger not worth consideration?"
I asked, looking him fair in the eyes; and the quick lowering of them
and the tightening of his mouth satisfied me that he could not
truthfully answer in the affirmative.

"It is a matter of what she considers me," he said.

"Oh, well," I said indifferently, now that I had gained my point, "it
doesn't matter to me, but I'll be sorry to lose your company, and I
thought you were taking an interest in Leslie's candidature, and we
could have enjoyed it together."

"So I do."

"Well, come back as soon as you get these matches played, and we'll
have some good times together again, and I'll keep the reprehensible
Dawn out of the way; and anyhow, remember she didn't throw _cold_
water on you, and that's something."

"Very well, I'll be back in about three weeks' time to see how Les.
gets on. Polling-day hasn't been fixed yet. I'd like to see it through
now I've started."

"Of course," said I, considering it a good move that he should
disappear for a short time, and after this he rowed me on the Noonoon
till Clay's dinner-bell sounded and I went up to eat.

That evening "Dora" Eweword came in to tea and remained afterwards.
He informed us that the red-headed chap who had been loafing around
Kelman's had gone to Europe.

"Has he? Did he tell you?" interestedly inquired Andrew.

"He mentioned that he would leave for South Australia by the express
this evening," I replied, but did not add that his going to Europe was
a little stretched.

Dawn was quiet. Her merry impudence did not enliven the com