hat not, any
of this crew wants? I'm master of my own ideas, anyway, thank God.
If you don't like what I do, you can always stop me." In the tone
of his voice was a distinct challenge. Galen Albret, it seemed,
chose to pass it by.

"True," he replied sombrely, after a barely perceptible pause to
mark his tacit displeasure. "It is your hour. Say on."

"I should like to know the date at which I take _la Longue
Traverse_."

"You persist in that nonsense?"

"Call my departure whatever you want to--I have the name for it.
When do I leave?"

"I have not decided."

"And in the meantime?"

"Do as you please."

"Ah, thanks for this generosity," cried the young man, in a tone of
declamatory sarcasm so artificial as fairly to scent the
elocutionary. "To do as I please--here--now there's a blessed
privilege! I may walk around where I want to, talk to such as have
a good word for me, punish those who have not! But do I err in
concluding that the state of your game law is such that it would be
useless to reclaim my rifle from the engaging Placide?"

"You have a fine instinct," approved the Factor.

"It is one of my valued possessions," rejoined the young man,
insolently. He struck a match, and by its light selected a
cigarette.

"I do not myself use tobacco in this room," suggested the older
speaker.

"I am curious to learn the limits of your forbearance," replied the
younger, proceeding to smoke.

He threw back his head and regarded his opponent with an open
challenge, daring him to become angry. The match went out.

Virginia, who had listened in growing anger and astonishment,
unable longer to refrain from defending the dignity of her usually
autocratic father, although he seemed little disposed to defend
himself, now intervened from her dark corner on the divan.

"Is the journey then so long, sir," she asked composedly, "that it
at once inspires such anticipations--and such bitterness?"

In an instant the man was on his feet, hat in hand, and the
cigarette had described a fiery curve into the empty hearth.

"I beg your pardon, sincerely," he cried, "I did not know you were
here!"

"You might better apologize to my father," replied Virginia.

The young man stepped forward and without asking permission,
lighted one of the tall lamps.

"The lady of the guns!" he marvelled softly to himself.

He moved across the room, looking down on her inscrutably, while
she looked up at him in composed expec