“He was interesting,” she remarked.  “Talks better than he knows, and I suppose we ought to feel flattered, because he took our comprehension for granted.  After all, it was rash to talk about Canadian progress to two English girls.”

“You made him talk,” Helen rejoined.  “It’s the first time I’ve known you interested in geography.”

Miss Jardine laughed.  “I was interested in the man.  He told us a good deal about himself, although it would have embarrassed him if he’d guessed.  The curious thing is that he imagines he’s practical, while he’s really a reckless sentimentalist.”

Helen did not answer and picked up a book, but she thought more about Festing than about what she read.

CHAPTER IX

FESTING LOSES HIS TEMPER

Next morning Festing got breakfast early and set off down the dale.  This was not the way Muriel had indicated, but he thought it better to avoid temptation.  The girls had received him graciously at the farm and had perhaps listened with unusual patience, but if he overtook them in the morning the thing might look too marked.  Besides, he doubted if it was advisable that Helen should see him again so soon, since he might remind her of matters she wished to forget.

The self-denial cost him something, and he went down the dale irresolutely, stopping once or twice to look back.  It was annoying to feel himself so weak, because he had seldom vacillated in Canada, but had chosen the proper line and then stuck to it.  As a matter of fact, he had generally had a definite object and definite plans for its attainment.  Although he had an object now, he was otherwise at a loss.

He meant to marry Helen.  Life was strenuous on the plains, and at first there might be hardships, but if she loved him she would not flinch.  Her portrait had not done her justice; he dwelt upon her fearless confidence as she came down the screes, her light, sure step, and agile pose.  These things indicated strength of mind and body, and he knew, if the need came, she would make good use of both.

By and by he thought of Charnock with keener anger than he had yet felt.  Bob was a weak fool and something worse.  He had broken the promise and then tricked his friend.  The fellow’s character was warped; he could not go straight, but tried to escape the consequences of his folly in a maze of crooked ways.  The worst was that consequences could not be shirked.  If the real offender avoided them, they fell upon somebody else, and now Festing had to pay.  Bob had prejudiced him with Helen.  She would probably never quite forget that he knew what she had suffered.