n was abroad, doing business on its wide
margin of opportunity. Lorne cast a backward glance at conditions he had
seen.

"I know what you mean," he said. "Sharp of you to spot it so soon, old
chap! You're staying with the English Church minister, aren't you--Mr
Emmett? Some connection of yours, aren't they?"

"Mrs Emmett is Chafe's sister--Mrs Chafe, you know, is my aunt," Hesketh
reminded him. "I say, Murchison, I left old Chafe wilder than ever.
Wallingham's committee keep sending him leaflets and things. They take
it for granted he's on the right side, since his interests are. The
other day they asked him for a subscription! The old boy sent his reply
to the Daily News and carried it about for a week. I think that gave him
real satisfaction; but he hates the things by post."

Lorne laughed delightedly. "I expect he's snowed under with them. I sent
him my own valuable views last week."

"I'm afraid they'll only stiffen him. That got to be his great argument
after you left, the fact that you fellows over here want it. He doesn't
approve of a bargain if the other side sees a profit. Curiously enough,
his foremen and people out in Chiswick are all for it. I was talking to
one of them just before I left--'Stands to reason, sir,' he said, 'we
don't want to pay more for a loaf than we do now. But we'll do it, sir,
if it means downing them Germans; he said."

Lorne's eyebrows half-perceptibly twitched. "They do 'sir' you a lot
over there, don't they?" he said. "It was as much as I could do to get
at what a fellow of that sort meant, tumbling over the 'sirs' he propped
it up with. Well, all kinds of people, all kinds of argument, I suppose,
when it comes to trying to get 'em solid! But I was going to say we are
all hoping you'll give us a part of your time while you're in Elgin.
My family are looking forward to meeting you. Come along and let me
introduce you to my father now--he's only round the corner."

"By all means!" said Hesketh, and they fell into step together. As Lorne
said, it was only a short distance, but far enough to communicate a
briskness, an alertness, from the step of one young man to that of the
other. "I wish it were five miles," Hesketh said, all his stall-fed
muscles responding to the new call of his heart and lungs. "Any good
walks about here? I asked Emmett, but he didn't know--supposed you could
walk to Clayfield if you didn't take the car. He seems to have lost his
legs. I suppose parsons do."