a place like this?" she asked.

"I don't know," said Mrs. Hastings; "perhaps it's Harry's idea of
having every thing proportionate. The Range is quite a big, and
generally a prosperous, farm. Besides, it's likely that he doesn't
contemplate remaining a bachelor for ever. Indeed, Allen and I
sometimes wonder how he has escaped so long."

"Is that the right word?" Agatha asked.

"It is," said her companion with a laugh. "You see, he's highly
eligible from our point of view, but at the same time he's apparently
invulnerable. I believe," she added drily, "that's the right word,
too."

Then the Swedish housekeeper appeared again, and they talked with her
until she retired to bring the six o'clock supper. Soon after it was
laid out Wyllard and the men came in. He was attired as when Agatha
had last seen him, except that he had evidently brushed himself and put
on a store jacket. He led his guests to the head of the long table,
but the men--and there were a number of them--sat below, and had
evidently no diffidence about addressing question or comment to their
employer.

They ate with a somewhat voracious haste, but that appeared to be the
custom of the country, and Agatha could find no great fault with their
manners or conversation. The latter was, for the most part, quaintly
witty, and some of them used what struck her as remarkably fitting and
original similes. Indeed, as the meal proceeded she became curiously
interested in the men and their surroundings.

The windows were open wide, and a sweet, warm air swept into the barely
furnished room. The spaciousness of the latter impressed her, and she
was pleased with the evident unity between these brown-faced,
strong-armed toilers and their leader. He sat, self-contained, but
courteous and responsive to all alike, at the head of his table, and
though that is, as she had discovered, in most respects an essentially
democratic country, she felt that there was something almost feudal in
the relations between him and his men. She could not imagine them
being confined to the mere exaction of so much labour and the
expectation of payment of wages due. She was also pleased that he had
not changed his dress, which would, she felt, have been a singularly
unfitting action. In fact, so strong was her interest that she was
almost astonished when the meal was over, though it must be admitted
that most of the men rose and went out in fifteen minutes. Afterwards
she an