t _got_ to keep Hynds House, if only to teach these
Hyndsville women a lesson." She spoke after a pause. "Sophy, they
flatten their ears and arch their backs at sight of us; and whenever
there's a good chance for a wipe of a paw, why, we catch it across
the nose. Now I," she admitted frankly, "am naturally full of cat
feelings myself. I will not do what _you_ want to do--walk off
looking aggrieved, after the fashion of Old Dog Tray. I will repay
in kind, retaliate in true lady-cat manner. And these,"--she began
to smile--"these shall be our weapons of offense and defense. It
will be a gorgeous struggle; however, my forebears came from
Kilkenny!"

I laughed, but indeed I did not feel any too optimistic. Holding
down Hynds House was no easy task, and the town was not disposed to
make it easier for us. While we had been busy renovating, while our
hands were so full of work that every minute was occupied, we hadn't
felt our isolation. It was only when we had time to pause and look
around us, that the stubborn, quiet hostility of the town's attitude
to the new owner of Hynds House was borne in upon us.

Not that anything overt was done by any one. Nor was there the
slightest breach of politeness: they were as punctiliously polite
when chance brought us into contact with them, as well-bred folk are
to strangers whose further acquaintance they have no desire to
cultivate. The vestrymen of St. Polycarp's had expressed their
appreciation of Miss Smith's action in promptly dropping the suit
against them; she was welcome to come and worship God in their
church, and to do her duty by the heathen. Such ladies as happened
to belong to the missionary society spoke to us pleasantly in the
church vestibule. The minister and his wife were as sincerely,
duteously courteous. But that was all. Not a house in Hyndsville
opened its doors to us. They simply would not accept the interloper
that the malignity of the Scarlett Witch had put in possession of
that which should have gone back to Richard's last heir, or failing
him, to Richard Geddes.

The fact that these two descendants of the Hyndses did not seem to
see and do their duty as members of that illustrious family, but
shamelessly made friends with the aliens, did not raise us in the
town's estimation. Quite the contrary. Nor were they even faintly
angry with Mr. Jelnik and Doctor Geddes, who were, so to say,
unsuspicious Israelites coaxed into the Canaanitish camp.

I admit that I