liked to touch his scarred and roughened
hands. She glanced at the injured hand inquiringly.

"It is almost well again. It was crushed beneath a mass of timber," he
told her briefly.

Conscious that the meeting so far left a good deal to be desired,
Violet sat still a moment. It certainly had not afforded her the
pleasure she might reasonably have expected, and she subconsciously
resented the fact. There was also, as she noticed, a suggestion of
uneasiness in the man's scarred face.

"I have been in Victoria a few days," he explained. "There was a
machine I had to buy, and one or two other matters had to be attended
to. Then I got a letter forwarded from Waynefleet's ranch, from which
it appeared that Mr. Acton wished to see me."

A faint sparkle crept into Violet Hamilton's eyes. "It is evident,"
she observed, "that we both find it a little difficult to say the
right thing."

"I'm afraid I am now and then a little remiss in that respect. Still,
how have I offended?"

Violet contrived to smile. "I'm not sure it was particularly judicious
of you to explain so fully what brought you here. Couldn't you have
left me to suggest another reason that would have been a little more
satisfactory?"

Nasmyth laughed. "My dear, you know I have been longing to see you."

"Ah!" exclaimed Violet, "I am not altogether sure. Indeed, I could
almost fancy that you have been thinking of nothing beyond what you
are doing in that horrible canyon."

Nasmyth raised his hand in protest, though Violet was quick to notice
the uneasiness in his face; but now the worn look in it roused her
pity.

"Well," she said, "you can show how anxious you were by staying here
at least a week. I want you to stay. Besides, you must for another
reason--you are looking almost ill."

There was, for the first time, a softness in her voice that stirred
the man, but the uneasiness that had troubled him did not disappear.
Indeed, it seemed to grow stronger as he glanced about the room, which
was furnished artistically, and flooded with light. Mrs. Acton's
guests were of the station to which he had belonged, and he would once
have found the sound of their voices and their light laughter
pleasant. These, however, were things that no longer appealed to him,
and he was conscious of a feverish impatience to get back to his work
again in the misty canyon.

"I'm afraid," he replied gravely, "it will be out of the question for
me to stay just now. There is so mu