"I think you are wise," Millicent retorted with a trace of dryness. On the face of it, she was pleased with his answer, but the fact he had mentioned caused her some irritation. Bella Crestwick, not content with monopolizing Clarence, must also seek to include the Canadian in her train. It was curious that for the moment that seemed the more serious offense. The girl was insatiable and going too far, Millicent thought. Lisle noticed her silence. "Remember that I'm from the wilds," he said. She smiled at him reassuringly. "After all, that isn't a great drawback. Anyway, I'm grateful for the trout." Then, somewhat to his surprise, she abruptly changed the subject. "I wonder what you think of a tacit promise?" His face grew thoughtful; she liked his quick change to seriousness. "Well, I don't know that my opinion's of much value, but you may have it. Supposing two people allow each other to assume that they're agreed upon the same thing, it's binding upon both of them." "But if only one actually made his wishes clear." "In that case, the other had the option of showing that they couldn't be acceded to. Failing that, in my view, he can't go back on it." Then his eyes gleamed with amusement. "I don't often set up as a philosopher." Millicent was a little vexed with herself for asking him and did not quite understand why she had done so, unless it was because she had not altogether recovered her usual collectedness after Mrs. Gladwyne's visit. Why she should be interested in this man's opinion was not clear, but she thought he was one who would act in accordance with it. She was afterward even more astonished at her next remark, which she made impulsively. "You have seen a good deal of Miss Crestwick, one way or another." He considered this gravely. "Yes," he replied. "I like her. For one thing, she's genuinely concerned about that brother of hers." "What do you think of him?" "Not much," Lisle answered candidly. "I've no use for a man who needs a woman to keep him straight and look after him. But one feels a strong respect for the woman, even though it's obvious that she's wasting her time." "Is it wasting time?" "It strikes me like that. A man of that sort is bound to come down badly some day." Millicent sat silent a while. The conversation had taken an unusually serious turn, but she wondered whether he were right. She had, she thought, allowed Clarence to assume that she would not repulse him when he formally claimed her and that--so this man from the wilds considered--constituted a binding obligation. She could not contest this view; but Clarence seemed more interested in Bella Crestwick than he was in her. Then she wondered why the girl had made so much of Lisle, unless it was to use him for the purpose of drawing Clarence on. If that were so, it seemed a pity that the confiding Canadian could not be warned, though that, of course, was out of the question. "I'm afraid I'm not very amusing to-day," she acknowledged.