country to England?"

"I think it prefers me. You see, I can't afford to live in my own
place. It's dipped--mortgaged, you understand--almost past praying for.
So it's let, and here I am."

"So that's why you are here?"

"Yes. The life suits me too. I believe if a miracle were to be worked,
and my place started again clear for me, I should still stick out here,
or at any rate come out every other year."

Clare looked at him, and the beautiful Irish eyes, their deep blue
framed by thick dark lashes, were sympathetic and soft. She was
thinking of the abominable stories Ancram had been spreading about this
man; how he had been hounded out of his county for cowardice, and so on.
She repeated--

"So that is why you are out here?"

"Of course," he answered looking at her with mild astonishment. "Why
else should I be?"

"Oh no. I hope you don't think me very inquisitive, Mr Lamont. Why,
it really seems as if I were trying to--to `pump' you--isn't that the
word?"

"But such a thought never entered my head. Why should it?"

Clare felt uncomfortable. There was manifestly no answer to be made to
this. So she said--

"By the way, who is this Mr Ancram? You knew him at home, didn't you?"

"Oh yes. Slightly, and didn't care for him at that. He turned up at my
place here one night. Peters had picked him up in woeful plight down
Pagadi way--and gave me the idea he had come to stay. I've nothing to
say against the chap, mind, but I don't care for him."

Clare was no mischief-maker, still she could not help saying--

"Well, I don't think he's any friend of yours, from what I've heard."

"No? I suppose not. He's been putting about a yarn or two of his own
here with regard to me, with just that substratum of truth about it that
makes the half lie the most telling. But--good Lord, what does it
matter?"

Clare's eyes opened wide. There was no affectation about this
indifference--and how different this man was to the general ruck.
Instead of getting into a fume and promising to call the delinquent to
account, and so forth, as most men would have done, this one simply lay
back against the hard cold stone, puffed out a cloud of smoke, and said,
"What does it matter?"

"Then you are indifferent to the opinion of other people about you?" she
said.

"Utterly. Utterly and entirely. I look at it from this point of view.
If anything is said to my discredit, those whose opinions are worth
having won't belie