pipe without
comment, reflecting inwardly that although cigarettes were scarcely the
treatment, though they might be the cause, of a pasty face and a
"nervous breakdown," it was none of his business to interfere with a
young gentleman who evidently considered himself a man of the world. So
they smoked and talked, and when, after a little while, Cecil confessed
himself tired, and went off to bed, he left behind him a completely
bored and rather annoyed squatter.

"Well, Norah, what do you think of him?"

Norah, sitting meekly knitting in the drawing-room, looked up and
laughed as her father came in.

"Think? Why, I don't think much, Daddy."

"No more do I," said Mr. Linton, casting his long form into an
armchair. "Of all the spoilt young cubs!--and that's all it is, I should
say: clearly a case of spoiling. The boy isn't bad at heart, but he's
never been checked in his life. Well, I'm told it's risky for a father
to bring up his daughter unaided, but I'm positive the result is worse
when an adoring mother rears a fatherless boy! Possibly I've made
rather a boy of you--but Cecil's neither one thing nor the other. Why
didn't you come out, my lass?"

"Felt too bad tempered!" said Norah; "he makes me mad when he speaks to
you in that condescending way of his, Daddy. I'll be calmer to-morrow."
She smiled up at her father. "Have a game of chess?"

"It would be soothing, I think," Mr. Linton answered. He laughed. "It's
really pathetic--our Darby and Joan existence to be ruffled like this!
Thank goodness, he's in bed, for to-night, at any rate!" They got out
the chessmen, and played very happily until Norah's bedtime.

"Do you ride, Cecil?" Mr. Linton asked next morning at breakfast.

"Ride? Oh, certainly," Cecil answered. "I suppose you're all very keen
on that sort of thing up here?"

"Well, that's how we earn our living," his uncle remarked. "Norah is my
right-hand man on the run."

"Ah, how nice! Do you find it hard to get labour here?"

"Oh, we get them," said Mr. Linton, his eyes twinkling. "But I prefer
to catch 'em young. We're cutting out cattle for trucking to-day. Would
you care to come out?"

"Delighted," said the nephew, glancing without enthusiasm at his
flannels. "But I didn't dress for riding."

"Oh, we're not absolute sticklers for costume here," Mr. Linton said,
laughing outright. "Wear what you like--in any case, we shan't start for
an hour."

It was more than that before they finally got awa