“All out for Elaine!” he cried merrily. “Here’s where we stop, John. Look after those guns and umbrellas, Uncle. Out you come, sis!” In the hall, broad, deep and high of ceiling, a room in itself, Margaret, drawing her gloves from palms that ached with holding the headstrong Cardinal, nodded smilingly toward a deep chair. John shook his head, however, and turning to one of the windows gazed out over the sloping, sun-bathed lawn to the timbered creek, to the fields beyond, to the purple rises and hills beyond those, and so to an almost cloudless horizon which already hinted of sunset. He received an impression of openness and space that was almost thrilling. Phillip, followed by the butler, came in with the luggage, and to the darky Margaret spoke: “Has mother come down?” “No’m, not yet. She said she’d wait till you-all come.” “Very well. You’d better take Mr. North’s things to his room, Uncle; and perhaps you’d like to go up?” turning to John. “Thank you, I will.” “I’m going up to see mamma; I’ll be back in a minute or so, John. I’ve told them at the stable to bring the horses around; we’ll take a ride before supper.” Phillip tossed aside his cap and turned toward a door. “But maybe Mr. North is tired, Phil, and would rather not ride this evening,” said Margaret. “Tired! Shucks, Margey; why, you just can’t tire him! You want to ride, don’t you, John?” “I should like to very much. It seems a mistake to stay indoors in this kind of weather――it’s grand. I’ll get washed up a bit and change my things. Don’t let your mother put herself to any inconvenience on my account, Phil, unless she would have come downstairs anyway――if I wasn’t here, I mean――――” “This is her usual time,” answered Margaret. “I suspect the reason she’s not already here to welcome you is that she’s doing an unusual amount of primping on your account, Mr. North. Mamma is not beyond feminine coquetries, is she, Phil?” “She’s the biggest flirt in four counties!” laughed Phillip. “I don’t doubt but that she’s been dressing for your conquest, John, ever since morning.” “The extra exertion is quite unnecessary,” John replied gravely. “I came here quite prepared to fall victim to her charms.”