ngrily. "It's their doing, and
it's a shame."

"Here, hold hard, mother!" cried Esau. "I say, is that true?"

"Quite."

"And now you're trying to blind me, Esau," cried Mrs Dean; "but you
can't cheat me."

"Who's trying to blind you?"

"You, sir. Just as if you didn't know all the time."

"He did not know, neither did I know till I went up there to-day," I
said.

"Ah, I never liked those people. They're only Dempsters, and not
content with weaning you away from me, they've done the same now with my
boy."

"Did you ever hear such an unbelieving old creature," cried Esau
excitedly. "Mr and Mrs John D. going! Why you've coaxed 'em into
it."

"You don't deceive me; you don't deceive me," said Mrs Dean, sobbing.

"Be quiet, mother!--But how is it they're going?"

"For Mrs John's health. I told you before they said they might go to
Canada."

"So you did."

"Of course you did," said Mrs Dean, scornfully.

"They are going to join Mrs John's brother, who is manager out at a
Hudson's Bay Company's station."

"Hudson's Bay," said Esau, making a grimace; "that's up at the North
Pole. I don't want to go there."

"Nonsense!" I said; "it's somewhere in British Columbia."

"Hudson's Bay, Baffin's Bay, Davis' Straits--all up at the North Pole.
Think nobody never learnt jography but you?"

"Ah, well, never mind where it is," I said impatiently; "they're going
out there."

"And they've coaxed you two boys away from a poor lone widow woman to go
with them," cried Mrs Dean; "and it's a sin and a shame."

"I assure you, Mrs Dean--"

"No, sir, you can't."

"Will you be quiet, mother!" cried Esau angrily, "and go on with your
supper, and let us. You're crying right into the salt."

"I'm not, sir! and I will not be put down by a boy like you. I say you
shan't go."

"And I say I shall," replied Esau surlily. "If you don't know what's
for the best, I do."

"It isn't for the best, and it's cruel of you, Esau."

"Well," said Esau, turning to me, "I've made up my mind, Gordon; she
won't care when it's all over, and then she'll see it's for the best for
all of us. So once for all, will you stick to it?"

"Yes," I said, "I am quite determined now."

"Hear that, mother?"

"Oh yes, I hear, sir."

"Then don't say sir; and let's finish supper comfortably, for I haven't
had half enough. But let's have it all over, and then settle down to
it. So once for all, I'm going out to British Columbia to make