ok his head, of course unconvinced. In rough and out-of-the-way
parts a girl might suffer from want of educational opportunities, but
this one had not. Her speaking voice was refined and her grammar
flawless. Perhaps she had a clever and refined mother, he thought. And
then it occurred to him for the first time that he was in entire
ignorance as to what Ben Halse's household consisted of. He had made no
inquiries on the subject, and now he was going to be a temporary member
of it.

"You won't believe what I say?" she went on mischievously.

"No."

"All right, you'll see. Just get me on to Shakespeare and Byron, or is
it Bacon? and all that lot that you learned people like talking about,
and then you'll see where I don't come in."

Denham was more and more delighted. There was such a charming frankness
about this daughter of the wilderness that was clean outside all his
experience. There was no affectation about it either. At the same time
he could see that this was no ordinary type of womanhood. She had
character, and plenty of it. Here was an object of interest--of vivid
interest--he had by no means bargained for.

"But I'm not a `learned' person, Miss Halse," he answered, with a laugh.
"Anything but. I like collecting things. That's all."

"Mr Denham's coming up to stay with us a bit, Verna," said Ben Halse.
"He'll be able to `collect things' there to the top of his bent."

"Are you, really? Oh, that'll be delightful," she said, turning upon
Denham a sparkling, pleased face. "We can take you where you can find
everything that creeps, or flies, or runs, down in the Lumisana forest."

"That'll be more than good. I shall enjoy it above all things," he
rejoined. "I suppose you are a good bit of a sportsman yourself, Miss
Halse? Shoot and all that?"

"Oh, I haven't always time," she answered. "What with running the house
and looking after things, and helping father in the store--that takes
some time and patience, I can tell you. The people in these days have
got so civilised and thoroughly understand the value of money, why,
they'll haggle for half-an-hour over anything, from a striped skirt to a
packet of snuff."

"Will they?" said Denham, more interested than ever. This girl--this
splendid-looking girl with the fine presence and striking personality--
sold striped skirts and packets of snuff to natives, and, moreover, had
not the slightest hesitation in volunteering the fact. More and mor