Shortly after the company returned to the parlour, Mr. Errol signified that he must take his departure for the Lake Settlement, where his second congregation was.  At this Mr. Nash pricked up his ears, and said he would saddle his horse and ride over with him.  “Na, na!” cried the Squire, “he’ll no ride the day; I’ll just get the waggon oot, and drive ye baith there and back.”  Orders were given through Tryphosa, a comely, red-cheeked damsel, who appeared in a few minutes to say that Timotheus was at the gate.  All went out to see the trio off, and there, sure enough, was Timotheus of Peskiwanchow holding the restive horses.  It transpired that Carruthers, having lost his house servant through the latter’s misconduct, had commissioned his sister to find him a substitute, and Marjorie’s interest in Timotheus had resulted in his being chosen to fill the vacant situation.  He grinned his pleased recognition of the two pedestrians, who bravely withstood all the temptations to get into the waggon and visit the Lake Settlement.  When the waggon departed, Mrs. Carruthers went to her children, taking Marjorie with her, and Mrs. Carmichael went upstairs for a read of a religious paper and a nap.  The young ladies and the tourists were the sole occupants of the sitting-room.  The lawyer went over to Miss Du Plessis, and left his friend perforce to talk to Miss Carmichael.

“I hear, Miss Du Plessis, that you own a farm and valuable mineral land,” said Coristine.

“Did Messrs. Tylor, Woodruff and White give you that information?” she asked in return.

“No, indeed; do you know my firm?”

“Very well, seeing I have been two years in Mr. Tylor’s office.”

“Two years in Tylor’s office, and me not know it?”

“You do not seem to take much interest in feminine stenographers and typewriters.”

“No, I don’t, that’s a fact; but if I had known that it was you who were one, it would have been a different thing.”

“Now, Mr. Coristine, please make no compliments of doubtful sincerity.”

“I never was more sincere in my life.  But you haven’t answered me about the land.”

“Well, I will answer you; I have no farm or valuable minerals, but my father left me two hundred acres of water and wild land near what’s called the Lake Settlement, which he bought when Honoria married Mr. Carruthers and took up her residence here.”

“Do you know if the taxes are paid on your land?”

“No, I was not aware that wild land and water could be taxed.”

“Taxed is it?  You don’t know these municipalities.  If you had a little island in your name, no bigger than this room, they’d tax you for it, and make you pay school rate, and do statute labour beside, though there wasn’t a school or a road within ten miles of it.  For downright jewing and most unjustifiable extortion on non-residents, commend me to a township council.  You’ll be sold out by the sheriff of the county, sure as eggs, and the Grinstun man’ll buy your property for the arrears of taxes.”