, pensive way, striving by every means to lighten
her mother's burden and to help her brother to the path which their
father before them had so diligently trodden.

Her patience had now given way under the wearing tide of Hervey's
dissatisfaction, and it seemed as though a rupture between them were
imminent.

"Oh, well enough, if you consider bare duty," Hervey retorted after a
deliberate pause.

"Bare duty, indeed!" Prudence's two brown eyes flashed round on him in
an instant. "You are the sort of man who should speak of duty, Hervey.
You just ought to be ashamed of yourself. Your mother's debt of duty
towards you was fulfilled on the day you left the farm years ago. She
provided you with liberal capital to start you in life. Now you have
come back, and she welcomes you with open arms--we both do--glad that
you should be with us again. And what return have you made to her for
her goodness? I'll tell you; you have brought her nothing but days of
unhappiness with your lazy, grumbling ways. If you are going to
continue like this, for goodness' sake go away again. She has enough
on her shoulders without being worried by you."

The man looked for a moment as though he were going to give
expression to some very nasty talk. Prudence had returned to her
pans and so lost the evil glance of his expressive eyes. Then his
look changed to a mocking smile, and when he spoke his words were
decidedly conciliating.

"I'm afraid I've done something to offend you, Prue. But you shouldn't
use hard words like that I know I'm not much of a farmer, and I am
always a bit irritable when I am not my own master. But don't let's
quarrel. I wanted to talk to you about George Iredale. He seems a
jolly decent fellow--much too good to be kicking his heels about in
such a district as Owl Hoot. He's extremely wealthy, isn't he?"

The girl felt angry still, but Hervey's tone slightly mollified her.
She answered shortly enough, and the skimming of the milk was not done
with the adeptness which she usually displayed.

"Rich? Yes, he's one of the richest men in Manitoba. Why?"

"Oh, I don't know. He seems very interested in--us. He's always over
here. And he never by any chance loses an opportunity of ingratiating
himself with mother. I wonder what his object is?"

Prudence bent over her work to hide the tell-tale flush which had
spread over her face, and the skimming was once more done with the
utmost care.

"Mother is very fond of Mr. Iredal