h-looking hound.

The evening shadows had grown rapidly. The grey vault of snow-clouds
above made the twilight much darker than usual. Grey waited. The
traveller silently drew up his horse, and for a moment sat gazing at
the figure by the gate. All that was visible of his face was the
suggestion of a nose and a pair of large dark eyes.

Grey opened the gate and passed out.

"Evening," said the horseman, in a voice muffled by the fur of his
coat-collar.

"Good-evening," replied Grey shortly.

"Loon Dyke Farm," said the stranger, in a tone less of inquiry than of
making a statement.

Grey nodded, and turned to move away. Then he seemed to hesitate, and
turned again to the stranger. Those eyes! Where had he seen just such
a pair of eyes before? He tried to think, but somehow his memory
failed him. The horseman had turned his face towards the house and so
the great roving eyes were hidden. But Grey was too intent upon the
business he had in hand to devote much thought to anything else.

There was no further reason for remaining; he had satisfied his
curiosity. He would learn all about the stranger later on.

He hurried round to the stables. When he had gone the stranger
dismounted; for a moment or two he stood with one hand on the gate and
the other holding the horse's reins, gazing after the retreating form
of the Customs officer. He waited until the other had disappeared,
then leisurely hitched his horse's reins on to the fence of the
enclosure, and, passing in through the gate, approached the house.
Presently he saw Grey ride away, and a close observer might have
detected the sound of a heavy sigh escaping from between the embracing
folds of the fur collar as the man walked up the path and rapped
loudly upon the front door with his mitted fist. The three-footed
hound had closed up on his master, and now stood beside him.

Prudence opened the door. Tea was just ready; and she answered the
summons, half expecting to find that her lover had thought better of
his ill-humour and had returned to share the evening meal. She drew
back well within the house when she realized her mistake. The stranger
stood for one second as though in doubt; then his voice reached the
waiting girl.

"Prudence, isn't it?"

The girl started. Then a smile broke over her pretty, dark face.

"Why, it's Hervey--brother Hervey. Here, mother," she called back into
the house. "Quick, here's Hervey. Why, you dear boy, I didn't expect
you for