he had dressed the part as closely as modern dress would
allow. Sir Francis was leaning back in an easy-chair with one leg
crossed squarely over the other knee, and in spite of country tweeds and
Homburg hat, he was somehow well within the picture. But Lars Larssen,
with his broad frame and his masterful step, was markedly out of harmony
with that atmosphere of leisured artificiality.

A lesser man would have been conscious of his incongruity--not so with
Larssen. He forced his personality on his environment. He made the
Italian garden seem out of place in his presence. A sensitive would
almost have felt the resentment of the trimly correct hedges and shrubs
and the classic statues at being thrust out of the picture on Larssen's
arrival.

For some time the conversation progressed on very ordinary tea-table
lines. Olive made much of the little boy--petted him, sent in for
special cakes to tempt him with, showered a host of questions on him
about school and games and hobbies. Sir Francis exchanged views on
weather, politics, and the coming cricket season with his guest. The
latter subject mostly resolved itself into a monologue on the part of
the baronet, since cricket held no more interest for Larssen than
ninepins; but he listened with polite attention while Sir Francis
expounded the chances of the Australian Team (he had been to Lord's that
morning to watch them at preliminary practice), and his own pet theory
of how the googly ought to be bowled.

Then, having offered libation on the altars of weather, politics, and
cricket, the baronet felt himself at liberty to touch on business
matters.

"Have you heard when Clifford will be back?" he asked.

"Let me see. To-day's the 26th. I expect him not later than May 3rd.
Probably sooner."

"Everything going smooth?"

"Yes; fine. I'm glad we delayed the issue until May. Canada's getting
well in the public eye just now. When the leaves spread out on the
park-trees, town-dwellers begin to remember that the country grows
crops. They recollect that there's 40 million acres of cropland in
Canada--250 million bushels of wheat to move. They awake to the notion
that the wheat will need transport to Europe. Yes, early May is the time
for our Hudson Bay issue--Clifford was right in suggesting the
postponement."

Olive caught the new drift of conversation between her father and her
guest, and turned to cut in.

"Olaf would like to see the aviary," she said to her father. "Esp