“Ernest wants to marry your sister, Kathleen. He is just mad to get her, and he always gets his way too. I would not like to see your sister his wife. He would break her heart and,” she added in a lower voice, “yours too. But remember you are not to tell. You are not to let him know I told you.” A real terror shone in her eyes. “Do you hear me?” she cried. “He would beat me with his whip. He would, he would.” “Beat you, beat you?” Larry pulled up his horse short. “Beat you in this country--oh, Dorothea!” “They do. Our men do beat their women, and Ernest would too. The women do not think the same way about it as your women. You will not tell?” she urged. “What do you think I am, Dorothea? And as for beating you, let me catch him. By George, I'd, I'd--” “What?” said Dorothea, turning her eyes full upon him, her pale face flushing. Larry laughed. “Well, he's a big chap, but I'd try to knock his block off. But it's nonsense. Ernest is not that kind. He's an awfully good sort.” “He is, he is a good sort, but he is also a German officer and, ah, you cannot understand, but do not let him have your sister. I have told you. Come, let us go quickly.” They rode on in silence, but did not overtake the others until they reached the timber lot where they found the party waiting. With what Dorothea had just told him in his mind, Larry could not help a keen searching of Kathleen's face. She was quietly chatting with the young German, with face serene and quite untouched with anything but the slightest animation. “She is not worrying over anything,” said Larry to himself. Then he turned and looked upon the face of the young man at her side. A shock of surprise, of consternation, thrilled him. The young man's face was alight with an intensity of eagerness, of desire, that startled Larry and filled him with a new feeling of anxiety, indeed of dismay. “Oh, you people are slow,” cried Nora. “What is keeping you? Come along or we shall be late. Shall we go through the woods straight to the dump, or shall we go around?” “Let's go around,” cried Kathleen. “Do you know I have not been around for ever so long?” “Yes,” said Larry, “let's go around by Nora's mine.” “Nora's mine!” exclaimed Ernest. “Do you know I've heard about that mine a great deal but I have never seen Nora's mine?” “Come along, then,” said Nora, “but there's almost no trail and we shall have to hurry while we can. There's only a cow track.” “Move along then,” said her brother; “show us the way and we will follow. Go on, Ernest.”