With this she steps into her carriage, and whispers to Livingston: "Don't dare to tell any more of your fibs about me!" for she is angry with herself now, and cogitates: "What will that man think of me? I have done an unmaidenly thing, and that immaculate gentleman opposite me, gossiping so easily with his mother and Louise, made me do it." CHAPTER X. "PAPA!" Miss Travenion rises quite late on the morning after the Bussey _fete_, dresses hurriedly, and runs down-stairs into the dining-room of the Townsend House, to find that she is at lunch, not at breakfast. There she meets the rest of the Livingston party, who have arisen before her, and are discussing, in semi-excited tones, a piece of news Mr. Ferdie, who has been up and out, has just brought in to them. "Do you know, Erma, that your gallant of last evening has come to grief?" remarks Oliver in placid triumph after the usual salutations have been exchanged. "It is an infernal shame!" cries Mr. Chauncey. "They say Lawrence is ruined." "Ruined! How?" asks the girl, growing pale in spite of herself. "Why," answers Ferdie, "as near as I can make out, not claiming to be a mining expert, though I have seen enough ore specimens to make me a geologist, since I have been here--this Tranyon, who is a wily old Mormon speculator, and whose company only claims a _part_ of Lawrence's mine, has just obtained an injunction to prevent him working _any_ of it. Consequently, our friend will not be able to extract any more of his ore, and, running short of money, will hardly have the sinews of war for a prolonged legal fight, and Zion's Co-operative Mining Institution, which has plenty of shekels to hire legal talent and pack juries, will have a good deal the best chance. Anyway, that's the talk about town--I give it you as it comes to me." "But this injunction can be dissolved," says Miss Travenion excitedly. "Yes, if he puts up a big bond," suggests Livingston, triumphantly. "Oh, that will not be difficult. Everybody is Captain Lawrence's friend," cries Erma, enthusiastically. "Everybody is Captain Lawrence's friend until they have to put up their money to aid him," answers Oliver, who seems to get angry at the girl's interest in the matter. "Besides, everybody is not his friend; old Tranyon and I, for instance," he sneers. "And you link your name with that miserable Mormon?" cries Erma, a flush of defiance coming upon her face. Then she goes on rapidly: "I should think you would be ashamed of yourself. This struggle, as I understand it, is that of Gentile against Mormon, and I stand up for my crowd." Here Ferdie cries "Bravo!" and she covers her agitation by a little laugh.