ened his long
back.

"Unselfish or not, it's the truth. The question does not affect me at
all. I am not going to stay!"

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

AN EARLY DECISION.

"I am not going to stay," said Jack Melland; and whatever his faults
might be, he looked and spoke like a man who knew his own mind, and
would abide thereby.

His three companions stared at him in silence, and one of the three at
least felt a distinct sinking of the heart.

"I was beginning to like him; we got on quite famously at dinner, and I
thought we were going to have ever such a good time together. Now we
shall be a wretched uncomfortable three, and Mr Druce will like Ruth
best, and I shall be out in the cold. How horrid! How perfectly
horrid!" grumbled Mollie to herself.

Just because she was so perturbed, however, she would not allow herself
to speak, but put on an elaborate display of indifference, while Victor
asked curiously--

"You mean that? May one ask your reason?"

"Oh, certainly. I never looked upon myself as having the slightest
claim upon Mr Farrell, and I don't care to ruin my business prospects
for the sake of an off-chance. Besides, the whole position is
unpleasant; I object to being kept `on approval,' with the consciousness
that if I allow myself to be ordinarily agreeable I shall at once be
credited with sponging for the old man's favour. I am quite satisfied
with my own lot, without any outside assistance."

"Don't you care about money, then?" asked Ruth timidly.

Jack Melland threw back his head with an air of masterful complacency.

"I care about making money. That is to say, I love my work, and wish it
to be successful, but I am keen on it more for the sake of the interest
and occupation than for what it brings. A few hundreds a year supply
all that I want, and I should not care to be burdened with a big
fortune. If you come into this place, Miss Farrell, I shall be grateful
to you if you will ask me down for a few days' shooting in the autumn,
but I shall never envy you your responsibility. To kick my heels here
in idleness for three solid months, and know that the business was
suffering for want of my presence--nothing would induce me to do it!"

But at this Mollie found her tongue, indignation spurring her to speech.

"You are not very polite to the rest of us! I should not have thought
it would be such a great hardship to stay in a lovely big house with
three young companions, when summer was co