I've known you
interested in geography."

Miss Jardine laughed. "I was interested in the man. He told us a good
deal about himself, although it would have embarrassed him if he'd
guessed. The curious thing is that he imagines he's practical, while
he's really a reckless sentimentalist."

Helen did not answer and picked up a book, but she thought more about
Festing than about what she read.

CHAPTER IX

FESTING LOSES HIS TEMPER

Next morning Festing got breakfast early and set off down the dale. This
was not the way Muriel had indicated, but he thought it better to avoid
temptation. The girls had received him graciously at the farm and had
perhaps listened with unusual patience, but if he overtook them in the
morning the thing might look too marked. Besides, he doubted if it was
advisable that Helen should see him again so soon, since he might remind
her of matters she wished to forget.

The self-denial cost him something, and he went down the dale
irresolutely, stopping once or twice to look back. It was annoying to
feel himself so weak, because he had seldom vacillated in Canada, but
had chosen the proper line and then stuck to it. As a matter of fact,
he had generally had a definite object and definite plans for its
attainment. Although he had an object now, he was otherwise at a loss.

He meant to marry Helen. Life was strenuous on the plains, and at first
there might be hardships, but if she loved him she would not flinch. Her
portrait had not done her justice; he dwelt upon her fearless confidence
as she came down the screes, her light, sure step, and agile pose. These
things indicated strength of mind and body, and he knew, if the need
came, she would make good use of both.

By and by he thought of Charnock with keener anger than he had yet felt.
Bob was a weak fool and something worse. He had broken the promise and
then tricked his friend. The fellow's character was warped; he could not
go straight, but tried to escape the consequences of his folly in a maze
of crooked ways. The worst was that consequences could not be shirked.
If the real offender avoided them, they fell upon somebody else, and
now Festing had to pay. Bob had prejudiced him with Helen. She would
probably never quite forget that he knew what she had suffered.

Then he remembered that he had meant to spend a week or two in London,
and made his way towards a valley through which a railway ran. Although
he wanted to see Helen, he was