"Not exactly. I liked it; but I'd a feeling now and then that it might be more bracing to do something useful; make things, for instance, or even go into business." Geraldine laughed, and it struck Andrew that she was very pretty as she looked at him with sparkling eyes. "You're delightfully matter-of-fact. You might have hinted at a longing for high adventure or something romantic." "The worst of adventure is that you often get a good deal more than you bargain for," said Andrew soberly. "You learned that in the North?" "Yes," he answered with a moody air; "that and other things. For example, I learned how money's sometimes made, and it was a shock." "Ah! The money was yours?" "That's where the trouble lies. So far, I've been content with spending it." "And you now feel that your responsibility doesn't end there? But if you wished to go into business, why didn't you do so?" "That is rather more than I can tell. Still, whenever I hinted at it, I was quietly discouraged. I suppose it wasn't expected of me, and the general opinion was that I was incapable." Geraldine thought that his friends were mistaken in this conclusion, but she could imagine his yielding to the representations of cleverer people, without questioning the accuracy of their views about him. He had, however, obviously broken loose from his tutelage, and now stood firm, ignorant perhaps of much that men who worked for their living knew, confronting with undisciplined courage troubles new to him. She had no doubt that he had courage and strong sincerity. "I'm afraid I'm not very entertaining," he apologized with a smile. "It's a compliment that you're natural," Geraldine said graciously. "One doesn't always expect to be amused. But you have Carnally to help you at the mine. What do you think of him?" "I have a high opinion of Jake." "I believe you're right; he's a favorite of mine. What he undertakes he carries out. You feel that he can be relied on; that he would do the square thing, however difficult it is. After all, one couldn't say much more of any man." "No," Andrew responded gravely. "The trouble often is to see how the square thing should be done." There were footsteps in the hall, and Frobisher came in and greeted Andrew cordially. "I heard you were at the Landing, and I'm not sorry you'll have to stay all night," he said. "It's snowing so hard that I had some difficulty in getting home with the team." CHAPTER XI THE REAL BOSS "How have you been getting on in the bush?" Frobisher asked his guest when they sat talking in his smoking-room. "You look worried." "There's a reason for it--the mine's no good." Andrew looked Frobisher steadily in the face. "I dare say you knew that some time ago." "I had my suspicions. I wasn't singular in that." "So it seems. I must ask you to believe that it was only during the last few days that I found out the truth." Frobisher smiled.