'Miss Hazel, your motions are usually determined by your own will, and by nothing else,—in my experience.' 'My dear sir, if you remember your experience so imperfectly, it cannot do you much good. Have I ever been allowed to go anywhere alone?' 'Why did not Rollo bring you home in proper time?'—very shortly. 'First there was a man in trouble, and then a mill,' said Miss Wych, composedly pouring water from her carafe. 'And so of course such small affairs as women had to wait.' 'What was the matter?' 'The man met with an accident. The mill was set on fire. But both were cared for satisfactorily—you need not be uneasy, Mr. Falkirk. Two such energetics as Mr. Rollo and Dr. Arthur suffice for all the common events of life.' 'And you,—where were you?' 'Miss Maryland and I, sir, were summarily bestowed at Mrs. Boërresen's for safe keeping.' 'Who is Mrs. Boërresen?' 'My dear Mr. Falkirk!—if you only would stir about a little you would learn so much!' said Wych Hazel. 'Mrs. Boërresen is a quite remarkable person of foreign birth who lives near Morton Hollow.' 'Rollo's old nurse!' said Mr. Falkirk. Wych Hazel bowed her head with extreme sedateness and went on with her dinner. Mr. Falkirk made a gesture of extreme impatience. 'It seems to me, Miss Hazel, that your other guardian had time to see you safe home, before allowing himself to be claimed by his own affairs. If you had not discretion enough to come, he should have had enough to bring you.' 'It needs valour as well as discretion to run away from one's guardians,' said Miss Kennedy lifting her brows. 'I should have been quite happy, sir, I am sure, to ride home alone.' "Why didn't he bring you?' growled the elder guardian. 'Or why didn't you make him bring you?' 'Yes, sir. Did you ever try to make Mr. Rollo do anything?' 'Quite out of order!' grumbled Mr. Falkirk; 'quite out of order! Miss Hazel, it may need valour and discretion both, as you seem to intimate, but I must beg that you will not have the like thing happen again. If you cannot get home in proper time, I prefer that you should not ride with him. I thought the fellow knew better!' A glance, lightning-swift, from under the dark lashes fell upon Mr. Falkirk's unconscious face. The girl waited a little before she made reply. 'How am I to know beforehand, Mr. Falkirk? Mills are uncertain things. And men. You are really sure of nothing but women in this world.' 'What do you mean about a mill burning?' came very deep out of Mr. Falkirk's throat. 'Some of the Charteris men set it on fire. The mill was not burned, because watch had been kept; and at the first sign of fire all hands went to work taking out cotton bales till the fire was reached. There was something of a bonfire outside.' 'Hm. How much loss?' 'Not much. A thousand or two.'