or I stay in obedience to her commands. You spoke of a house-party a
while ago. There is to be no house-party, but merely my sister and her
husband, with Miss Maturin as their guest. If you would rather not meet
any strangers, I suggest that we plunge further into the wilderness. At
the most remote lake on this property, about seven miles away, quite a
commodious keeper's lodge has been built, with room for, say, half a
dozen men who are not too slavishly addicted to the resources of
civilisation. Yet life there is not altogether pioneering. We could take
an automobile with us, and the telephone would keep us in touch with
the outside world. Fond of fishing?"

"Very."

"Then that's all right. I can offer you plenty of trout, either in pond
or stream, while in a large natural lake, only a short distance away, is
excellent black bass. I think you'll enjoy yourself up there."

Stranleigh laughed.

"You quite overlook the fact that I am not going. Unless ejected by
force, I stay here to meet your sister and Miss Maturin."

For a moment Trenton seemed taken aback. He had lost the drift of things
in his enthusiasm over the lakes.

"Oh, yes; I remember," he said at last. "You objected to meet anyone who
might wish you to invest good money in wild-cat schemes. Well, you're
quite safe as far as those two ladies are concerned, as I think I
assured you."

Ned was interrupted, and seemed somewhat startled by a sound of murmured
conversation ending in a subdued peal of musical laughter.

"Why, there's Sis now," he said, "I can tell her laugh anywhere."

As he rose from his chair, the door opened, and there entered a most
comely young woman in automobile garb, noticeably younger than Trenton,
but bearing an unmistakable likeness to him.

"Hello, Ned!" she cried. "I thought I'd find you here," then seeing his
visitor, who had risen, she paused.

"Lord Stranleigh," said Trenton. "My sister, Mrs. Vanderveldt."

"I am very glad to meet you, Lord Stranleigh," she said, advancing from
the door and shaking hands with him.

"Why didn't you telephone?" asked her brother.

His sister laughed merrily.

"I came down like a wolf on the fold, didn't I? Why didn't I telephone?
Strategy, my dear boy, strategy. This is a surprise attack, and I'd no
wish that the garrison, forewarned, should escape. I am sure, Lord
Stranleigh, that he has been descanting on the distraction of the woods
and the camp, or perhaps the metropolitan dissip