was winter all right, for all no snow had as yet fallen, and the girl
felt glad that it was so. It suited her mood.

Once or twice she took a sidelong glance at the man seated beside her;
but Bull Sternford's mood was no less reticent than her own. Once she
encountered the glance of his eyes, and it was just as the vehicle
bumped heavily over the badly paved road.

"We can do better in the way of roads up at Sachigo," he said with a
belated smile.

"You surely can," Nancy admitted readily. "The roads down here in the
old town are terrible. This old city of ours could fill pages of
history. It's got beauties, too, you couldn't find anywhere else in the
world. But it seems to need most of the things a city needs to make it
the place we folk reckon it is."

She went on at random.

"Do you always keep an automobile in Quebec?" she asked.

Bull shook his head.

"Hired," he said.

"I see."

Bull's eyes twinkled.

"Yes," he went on, "when I make this old city it's with the purpose of
driving twenty-four hours work into twelve. An automobile helps that
way."

"And you're wasting all this time driving me up to my apartments?" Nancy
smiled. "I'm more indebted than I guessed."

The man's denial was instant.

"No," he said. "Your apartments are about two blocks from the Chateau.
But tell me, when'll you be through making your report to Peterman?"

Nancy's depression passed. She was caught again in the interest of
everything.

"Why, to-day--surely," she said. "You see, I want to get word to you
right away."

Bull nodded.

"That's fine," he said. "It's not my way leaving things lying around
either. I'll be on the jump to get through before sailing time to that
little old country across the water. But tell me. That report. After
it's in you'll have made all the good you reckon to? And then you,
personally, cut right out of this thing?"

His manner gave no indication of the thing in his mind.

"Oh, yes," Nancy replied happily. "You see, I've bearded you--only
you've no beard--in your fierce den up in Sachigo. And I've--and you've
come right down here to Quebec with me to discuss with my people the
thing they want to discuss with you. They didn't think I--they didn't
hope that. Maybe I've done better than they expected. Why, when I hand
the news to Mr. Peterman he'll--he'll--oh, I'm just dying to see his
face when I tell him."

"You--haven't wired him already?"

"No. The news was too good to send by wire."