"Oh, thanks; it's kind of you not to put me in the same class. As a reward I'll tell you some news. Your little scheme for balking Lena's designs on Conrad has succeeded perfectly. Turner has just told me that she has suddenly decided she wants to go to Santa Barbara at once, and they're leaving this afternoon. I told him to go ahead, and I'd stay here a few days longer and finish things up with Curt." "That's just splendid, Ned! We'll have some lovely rides, won't we? And it will be such a rest not to have to keep an eye on Lena. I felt sure last night that she was going to give up the game and pretend she hadn't been playing, because she suddenly lost all interest in the cattle business." "Of course you know, Francisquita, that you have been behaving shamelessly; but I'll forgive you, because you've saved our model superintendent for us." "Ned, you know very well that I didn't do a thing but just help Mr. Conrad make it pleasant for all the people--except, perhaps, Lena. I'm afraid she'd have had a better time if I hadn't been here. But I've been thinking this morning, Ned, that maybe it wasn't necessary for me to help quite as hard as I did. What do you think about it?" "I think I don't know what you're talking about. As the cowboys say, you've flung gravel along the road a little too fast for my gait." "Ned, you're the blindest thing! What could I mean except that Mr. Conrad didn't need to be distracted from Lena, especially as her methods are so broad?" "Well, go on, dear. We'll get there after a while." "Go on! Why, Ned, that's all! Isn't that enough? Why should a man want more than one pretty girl to protect him from the designs of a lady who--well--who wants to shave him? You never needed anybody but me." "True, Fanny! But you always were equal to an army in yourself, and now you are equal to two--which is only another way of saying that you grow more fascinating every day. And now I think you might be gracious enough to tell me what you're talking about." "Why, Ned, I'm afraid Miss Bancroft didn't enjoy it any more than Lena. I wasn't quite sure of it until this morning; but I really think, Ned, that Lena would have been left out in the cold just the same if I hadn't--hadn't helped Mr. Conrad entertain the people quite so much." Castleton laughed. "Oh, I begin to see! You are feeling the pangs of remorse because you've been putting snags in the course of true love. But you needn't worry, dear. Curt isn't the sort of man, if he cares anything about her, to let a little thing like that make any difference." "But he'll be too busy with you to go over to Golden and see her again for a long time, won't he?" "Oh, we can get through this week, I think."