certainly liked him better over there," Lorne told Advena, "but then
he was a part of it--he wasn't separated out as he is here. He was just
one sort of fellow that you admired, and there were lots of sorts that
you admired more. Over here you seem to see round him somehow."

"I shouldn't have thought it difficult," said his sister.

"Besides," Lorne confessed, "I expect it was easier to like him when
you were inclined to like everybody. A person feels more critical of
a visitor, especially when he's had advantages," he added honestly.
"I expect we don't care about having to acknowledge 'em so very
much--that's what it comes to."

"I don't see them," said Advena. "Mr Hesketh seems well enough in his
way, fairly intelligent and anxious to be pleasant. But I can't say I
find him a specially interesting or valuable type."

"Interesting, you wouldn't. But valuable--well, you see, you haven't
been in England--you haven't seen them over there, crowds of 'em, piling
up the national character. Hesketh's an average, and for an average he's
high. Oh, he's a good sort--and he just SMELLS of England."

"He seems all right in his politics," said John Murchison, filling
his pipe from the tobacco jar on the mantelpiece. "But I doubt whether
you'll find him much assistance the way he talks of. Folks over here
know their own business--they've had to learn it. I doubt if they'll
take showing from Hesketh."

"They might be a good deal worse advised."

"That may be," said Mr Murchison, and settled down in his armchair
behind the Dominion.

"I agree with Father," said Advena. "He won't be any good, Lorne."

"Advena prefers Scotch," remarked Stella.

"I don't know. He's full of the subject," said Lorne. "He can present it
from the other side."

"The side of the British exporter?" inquired his father, looking over
the top of the Dominion with unexpected humour.

"No, sir. Though there are places where we might talk cheap overcoats
and tablecloths and a few odds and ends like that. The side of the
all-British loaf and the lot of people there are to eat it," said Lorne.
"That ought to make a friendly feeling. And if there's anything in the
sentiment of the scheme," he added, "it shouldn't do any harm to have a
good specimen of the English people advocating it. Hesketh ought to be
an object-lesson."

"I wouldn't put too much faith in the object-lesson," said John
Murchison.

"Neither would I," said Stella emphatically. "Mister