brought it upon you."

"How could you know that?" said the girl.

The man smiled a little. "It's quite simple," said he, "You are too
good and kind to bring sorrow upon yourself or anybody."

This was much better, but it was over-late now, and, for the girl said
nothing, he moved away, and presently met Seaforth as he strode down
the trail.

"Hallo!" said the latter. "Where are you going, Harry?"

"I know where you can go," said Alton grimly, "and that's right away to
the devil."

Seaforth laughed a little. "And that's the woman's work. It's a pity
Harry can't distinguish between paste and diamonds," said he.

It happened about this time that Miss Townshead sat in an attitude of
expectancy in her father's house. Townshead, still wearing the red
velvet jacket, sat in the old leather chair, with the resignation of
the incapable stamped upon him, and the cigar and cup of coffee close
by. His attitude seemed to imply that he was a very ill-used man, but
had discovered that it was no use protesting. He sipped his coffee
delicately, and then glanced towards his daughter with a trace of
irritation.

"I wish you could keep still, my dear," he said. "There is an
inquietude in your very pose that unsettles me, and with a little
fortitude one can get used to anything. For instance, if anybody had
told me five years ago that I could take my after-dinner coffee without
a slight flavour of old cognac I should not have believed them."

Nellie Townshead evinced a little impatience. "It might be slightly
more difficult to dispense with the dinner, as well as the coffee, and
that is what we shall probably have to do presently," said she. "Why
did you borrow that money from Mr. Hallam, father? Any one could have
seen that he was a rascal, and I believe that Mr. Seaforth warned you."

Townshead sighed. "The difficulty," he said, "is to arrive at a
correct decision before one knows what will happen. Afterwards, it is
comparatively easy. It appeared desirable to buy some cattle, and that
I should visit Victoria, where I made an unfortunate speculation, to
recuperate after my last attack. During my absence Jack, as you will
remember, lost some of the cattle and mismanaged the ranch. Mr.
Seaforth is also a young man who occasionally takes too much upon
himself."

The girl flushed a little. "Jack worked from morning to night, and if
we had spent a few dollars hiring somebody to help him, it would have
been bette