." She bluntly
informed her scandalised parent that "when she wanted a man more than
a career it would be far less humiliating to frankly go out and get
him than to practise alluring poses in the hopes that he might deign to
bestow upon her his lordly regard." Her mother wisely forebore to argue.
Indeed, she had long since learned that in argumentive powers she was
hopelessly outclassed by her intellectual daughter. She could only
express her shocked disappointment at such intentions and quietly plan
to circumvent them.

As to Patricia, her younger daughter, she dismissed all concern. She was
only a child as yet, wise beyond her years, but too thoroughly immature
to cause any anxiety for some years to come. Meantime she had at first
tolerated and then gently encouraged the eager and obvious anxiety of
Rupert Stillwell to make a footing for himself in the Rectory family.
At the outbreak of the war her antipathy to young Stillwell as a slacker
had been violent. He had not joined up with the first band of ardent
young souls who had so eagerly pointed the path to duty and to glory.
But, when it had been made clear to the public mind that young Stillwell
had been pronounced physically unfit for service and was therefore
prevented from taking his place in that Canadian line which though it
might wear thin at times had never broken, Mrs. Templeton relieved him
in her mind of the damning count of being a slacker. Later, becoming
impressed with the enthusiasm of the young man's devotion to various
forms of patriotic war service at home, she finally, though it must be
confessed with something of an effort, had granted him a place within
the circle of her home. Furthermore, Rupert Stillwell had done extremely
well in all his business enterprises and had come to be recognised as
one of the coming young men of the district, indeed of the Province,
with sure prospects of advancement in public estimation. Hence, the
frequency with which Stillwell's big Hudson Six could be seen parked on
the gravelled drive before the Rectory front door. In addition to this,
Rupert and his Hudson Six were found to be most useful. He had abundance
of free time and he was charmingly ready with his offers of service. Any
hour of the day the car, driven by himself or his chauffeur, was at the
disposal of any member of the Rectory family, a courtesy of which Mrs.
Templeton was not unwilling to avail herself though never with any
loss of dignity but always w