ade for you."

I did not know, for I could see no earthly reason for such feeling.

"I arranged," said he, "to send to the Holly Sprig for your machine,
and then to have you and it driven over to Waterton. Now this I
consider brutish. My wife told me that it was, and I agree with her
perfectly. It will take several days to repair that injured
wheel--Walter tells me you cannot expect it in less than three
days--and what will you do in Waterton all that time? It isn't a
pretty country, the hotels are barely good enough for a night's stop,
and there isn't anything for you to do. Even if you hired a wheel you
would find it stupid exploring that country. Now, sir, that plan is
brushed entirely out of sight. Your bicycle shall be sent on, and when
you hear that it is repaired and ready for use, you can go on yourself
if you wish to."

"My dear sir," I exclaimed, "this is entirely too much!"

He put his hands upon my shoulders and looked me squarely in the
face. "Too much!" said he, "too much! That may be your opinion, but I
can tell you you have the whole of the rest of the world against you.
That is, you would have if they all knew the circumstances. Now you
are only one, and if you want to know how many people are opposed to
you, I have no doubt Percy can tell you, but I am not very well posted
in regard to the present population of the world."

There was no good reason that I could offer why I should go and sit
solitary in Waterton for three days, and if I had had any such reason
I know it would have been treated with contempt. So I submitted--not
altogether with an easy mind, and yet seeing cause for nothing but
satisfaction and content.

"Another thing," said Mr. Larramie; "I have thought that you would
like to attend to your bicycle yourself. Perhaps you will want to take
it apart before you send it away. Percy will be glad to drive to the
Holly Sprig, and you can go with him. Then, when you come back, I will
have my man take your machine to Waterton. I have a young horse very
much in need of work, and I shall be glad to have an excuse for giving
him some travelling to do." I stood astounded. Go back to the Holly
Sprig! This arrangement had been made without reference to me. It had
been supposed, of course, that I would be glad to go and attend to the
proper packing of my bicycle. Even now, Percy, running across the
yard, called to me that he would be ready to start in two minutes.

When I took my seat in the wa