When the sleigh was a quarter of a mile up the road Ruth turned to her uncle.  “Do you imagine, Uncle Rufus,” said she, “that all those men you’ve asked for to-night will be grateful—­when they see one another?”

CHAPTER XIV

RAPID FIRE

“Well, now, we’re glad to see you at our place, Mr. Kendrick,” was Mr. Rufus Gray’s hearty greeting.  He had heard the sound of the motor-car as it came to a standstill just outside his window, and was in the doorway to receive his guests.  “As for Hugh, he knows he’s always welcome, though it’s a good while since he took advantage of it.  Sit down here by the fire and warm up before we send you out again.  You see,” he explained enjoyingly, “we have instructions what to do with you.”

Richard Kendrick noted the pleasant room with its great fireplace roaring with logs ablaze; he noted also its absence of occupants.  Only Aunt Ruth, coming forward with an expression of warm hospitality on her face, was to be discovered.  “They’re all down at the river, skating,” she told the young men.  “Forbes Westcott is just home again, and he and Robby had so much to talk over we asked him out to supper.  He and the girls—­and Anna Drummond, one of our neighbours’ daughters,” she explained to Kendrick, “were taken with the idea of going skating.  They didn’t wait for you, because they wanted to get a fire built.  When you’re warmed up you can go down.”

“There’ll be a girl apiece for you,” observed Uncle Rufus.  “Hugh knows Anna—­went to school with her.  She’s a fine girl, eh, Hugh?”

“She certainly is,” agreed Benson heartily.  “But I don’t see how either of us is to skate with her or with anybody without—­”

“Oh, that’s all right.  Look there,” and Uncle Rufus pointed to a long row of skates lying on the floor in a corner.  “All the nieces and nephews leave their skates here to have ’em handy when they come.”

So presently the two young men were rushing down the winding, snowy road which led through pasture and meadow for a quarter of a mile toward a beckoning bonfire.

“I don’t know when I’ve gone skating,” said Hugh Benson.

“The last time I skated was two years ago on the Neva at St. Petersburg.  Jove! but it was a carnival!” And Richard’s thoughts went back for a minute to the face of the girl he had skated with.  He had not cared much for skating since that night.  All other opportunities had seemed tame after that.

“You’ve travelled a great deal—­had a lot of experiences,” Benson said, with a suppressed sigh.

“A few.  But they don’t prevent my looking forward to a new one to-night.  I never went skating on a river in the country before.  How far can you go?”

“Ten miles, if you like, down.  Two miles up.  There they are, coming round the bend four abreast.  Westcott has more than his share of girls.”

“More than he wants, probably.  He’ll cling to one and joyfully hand over the others.”