with the wife of the Hudson Bay factor. It was well known in the Force that Dick had his reasons for all he did; but Mrs. Leigh did not guess at the reason for this civility, even when he put it into words on the steps of her own verandah.
The factor's house led down by a clean-swept path to the side-door of the Store, where two freighters, slow-moving yet dominant with that quiet self-possession of the men of the trail, concluded a bargain with Leigh. Their rough dogs slunk round, snuffing Leigh's high moccasins and woollen stockings, and Dick watched them as he spoke.
"Seems to me I'm not keeping track of the people around, Mrs. Leigh. Where was she from—that girl in church with the Cenci eyes and the Titian hair?"
"Do you think she's as wonderful as all that?" said Mrs. Leigh, and laughed. "And have you been here a month and never seen her! Why—she's Mrs. Ducane from over the Lake."
"Mrs." Dick stared with dropped jaw. He had been so certain of the other name. So very certain that not even those eyes had shaken his belief.
Mrs. Leigh interpreted his amazement through the medium of her own two handsome daughters, now married "outside."
"Not a good match for Ducane, many people think. But they say she has a lovely mind. There she is going out now, and Slicker with her. He is like a pair of brothers to her, that boy is."
Slicker brought the sleigh round the corner of the stables; saw Dick and bellowed a greeting before Jennifer could silence him. Dick came down with long strides, and stood by the sleigh, and the change in the man startled Jennifer. The bold interest was gone, and the contemptuous understanding. In voice and manner Dick carried now all the courteous charm of the elder days. And he was good to look at; better than she had thought.
"Dick," said Slicker, with his vigorous thrust-back of conventions. "My cousin's been under the weather lately Well, honey, you've looked like it, sure enough. And I guess it would be the decent thing for you and
