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〃But；　good　Lord；　Sybil；　he's　a　German！〃

〃A　German；〃　said　his　sister；　〃yes。　　But　what　difference　does　that　make？　　He　is　a　German；　but　he　is　also　a　Canadian。　　We　are　all　Canadians　here　whatever　else　we　may　be　or　have　ever　been。　　We　are　all　sorts　and　classes；　high　and　low；　rich　and　poor；　and　of　all　nationalitiesGermans；　French；　Swedes；　Galicians；　Russiansbut　we　all　shake　down　into　good　Canadian　citizens。　　We　are　just　Canadians；　and　that　is　good　enough　for　me。　　We　are　loyal　to　Canada　first。〃

〃You　may　be　right　as　far　as　other　nationalities　are　concerned；　but；　Sybil；　believe　me；　you　do　not　know　the　German。　　I　know　him　and　there　is　no　such　thing　as　a　German　loyal　to　Canada　first。〃

〃But；　Jack；　you　are　so　terribly　insular。　　You　must　really　get　rid　of　all　that。　　I　used　to　think　like　you；　but　here　we　have　got　to　the　place　where　we　can　laugh　at　all　that　sort　of　thing。〃

〃I　know；　Sybil。　　I　know。　　They　are　laughing　in　England　to…day　at　Roberts　and　Charlie　Beresford。　　But　I　know　Germany　and　the　German　mind　and　the　German　aim　and　purpose；　and　I　confess　to　you　that　I　am　in　a　horrible　funk　at　the　state　of　things　in　our　country。　　And　this　chap　Switzeryou　say　he　has　been　in　Germany　for　two　years？　　Well；　he　has　every　mark　characteristic　of　the　German。　　He　reproduces　the　young　German　that　I　have　seen　the　world　overin　Germany；　in　the　Crown　Prince's　coterie　（don't　I　know　them？）；　in　South　Africa；　in　West　Africa；　in　China。　　He　has　every　mark；　the　same　military　style；　the　same　arrogant　self…assertion；　the　same　brutal　disregard　of　the　ordinary　decencies。〃

〃Why；　Jack；　how　you　talk！　　You　are　actually　excited。〃

〃Did　you　not　notice　his　manner　with　that　girl？　　He　calmly　took　possession　of　her　and　ignored　us　who　were　of　her　party；　actually　isolated　her　from　us。〃

〃But；　Jack；　this　seems　to　me　quite　outrageous。〃

〃Yes；　Sybil；　and　there　are　more　like　you。　　But　I　happen　to　know　from　experience　what　I　am　talking　about。　　The　elementary　governing　principle　of　life　for　the　young　German　of　to…day　is　very　simple　and　is　easily　recognised；　and　it　is　this：　when　you　see　anything　you　want；　go　for　it　and　take　it；　no　matter　if　all　the　decencies　of　life　are　outraged。〃

〃Jack；　I　cannot；　frankly；　I　cannot　agree　with　you　in　regard　to　young　Switzer。　　I　know　him　fairly　well　and〃

〃Let's　not　talk　about　it；　Sybil；〃　said　her　brother；　quietly。

〃Oh；　all　right；　Jack。〃

They　rode　on　in　silence；　Romayne　gloomily　keeping　his　eye　on　the　trail　before　him　until　they　neared　the　Gwynne　gate；　when　the　young　man　exclaimed　abruptly：

〃My　God；　it　would　be　a　crime！〃

〃Whatever　do　you　mean；　Jack？〃

〃To　allow　that　brute　to　get　possession　of　that　lovely　girl。〃

〃But；　Jack；〃　persisted　his　sister。　　〃Brute？〃

〃Sybil；　I　have　seen　them　with　women；　their　own　and　other　women；　and；　now　listen　to　me；　I　have　yet　to　see　the　German　who　regards　or　treats　his　frau　as　an　English　gentleman　treats　his　wife。　　That　is　putting　it　mildly。〃

〃Oh；　Jack！〃

〃It　ought　to　be　stopped。〃

〃Well；　stop　it　then。〃

〃I　wish　to　God　I　could；〃　said　her　brother。



CHAPTER　VIII

YOU　FORGOT　ME


The　Lakeside　House；　substantially　built　of　logs；　with　〃frame〃　kitchen　attached；　stood　cosily　among　the　clump　of　trees；　poplar　and　spruce；　locally　described　as　a　bluff。　　The　bluff　ran　down　to　the　little　lake　a　hundred　yards　away；　itself　an　expansion　of　Wolf　Willow　Creek。　　The　whitewashed　walls　gleaming　through　its　festoons　of　Virginia　creeper；　a　little　lawn　bordered　with　beds　filled　with　hollyhocks；　larkspur；　sweet…william　and　other　old…fashioned　flowers　and　flanked　by　a　heavy　border　of　gorgeous　towering　sunflowers；　gave　a　general　air；　not　only　of　comfort　and　thrift；　but　of　refinement　as　well；　too　seldom　found　in　connection　with　the　raw　homesteads　of　the　new　western　country。

At　a　little　distance　from　the　house；　at　the　end　of　a　lane　leading　through　the　bluff；　were　visible　the　stables；　granary　and　other　outhouses；　with　corral　attached。

Within；　the　house　fulfilled　the　promise　of　its　external　appearance　and　surroundings。　　There　was　dignity　without　stiffness；　comfort　without　luxury；　simplicity　without　any　suggestion　of　the　poverty　that　painfully　obtrudes　itself。

At　the　open　window　whose　vine　shade　at　once　softened　the　light　and　invited　the　summer　airs；　sat　Mrs。　Gwynne；　with　her　basket　of　mending　at　her　side。　　Eight　years　of　life　on　an　Alberta　ranch　had　set　their　mark　upon　her。　　The　summers'　suns　and　winters'　frosts　and　the　eternal　summer　and　winter　winds　had　burned　and　browned　the　soft；　fair　skin　of　her　earlier　days。　　The　anxieties　inevitable　to　the　struggle　with　poverty　had　lined　her　face　and　whitened　her　hair。　But　her　eyes　shone　still　with　the　serene　light　of　a　soul　that　carries　within　it　the　secret　of　triumph　over　the　carking　cares　of　life。

Seated　beside　her　was　her　eldest　daughter　Kathleen；　sewing；　and　stretched　upon　the　floor　lay　Nora；　frankly　idle　and　half　asleep；　listening　to　the　talk　of　the　other　two。　　Their　talk　turned　upon　the　theme　never　long　absent　from　their　thoughtthat　of　ways　and　means。

〃Tell　you　what；　Mummie；〃　droned　Nora；　lazily　extending　her　lithe　young　body　to　its　utmost　limits；　〃there　is　a　simple　way　out　of　our　never　ending　worries；　namely；　a　man；　a　rich　man；　if　handsome；　so　much　the　better；　but　rich　he　must　be；　for　Kathleen。　　They　say　they　are　hanging　round　the　Gateway　City　of　the　West　in　bunches。　　How　about　it；　Kate？〃

〃My　dear　Nora；〃　gently　chided　her　mother；　〃I　wish　you　would　not　talk　in　that　way。　　It　is　not　quite　nice。　　In　my　young　days〃

〃In　your　young　days　I　know　just　exactly　what　happened；　Mother。　There　was　always　a　long　queue　of　eligible　young　men　dangling　after　the　awfully　lovely　young　Miss　Meredith；　and　before　she　was　well　out　of　her　teens　the　gallant　young　Gwynne　carried　her　off。〃

〃We　never　talked　about　those　things；　my　dear；〃　said　her　mother；　shaking　her　head　at　her。

〃You　didn't　need　to；　Mother。〃

〃Well；　if　it　comes　to　that；　Nora；〃　said　her　sister；　〃I　don't　think　you　need　to；　very　much；　either。　　You　have　only　got　to　look　at〃

〃Halt！〃　cried　Nora；　springing　to　her　feet。　　〃But　seriously；　Mother　dear；　I　think　we　can　weather　this　winter　right　enough。　　Our　food　supply　is　practically　visible。　　We　have　oats　enough　for　man　and　beast；　a　couple　of　pigs　to　kill；　a　steer　also；　not　to　speak　of　chickens　and　ducks。　　We　shall　have　some　cattle　to　sell；　and　if　our　crops　are　good　we　ought　to　be　able　to　pay　off　those　notes。　　Oh；　why　will　Dad　buy　machinery？〃

〃My　dear；〃　said　her　mother　with　gentle　reproach；　〃your　father　says　machinery　is　cheaper　than　men　and　we　really　cannot　do　without　machines。〃

〃That's　all　right；　Mother。　　I'm　not　criticising　father。　　He　is　a　perfect　dear　and　I　am　awfully　glad　he　has　got　that　Inspectorship。〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　her　mother；　〃your　father　is　suited　to　his　new　work　and　likes　it。　　And　Larry　will　be　finishing　his　college　this　year；　I　think。　　And　he　has　earned　it　too；〃　continued　the　mother。　　〃When　I　think　of　all　he　has　done　and　how　generously　he　has　turned　his　salary　into　the　family　fund；　and　how　often　he　has　been　disappointed〃　　Here　her　voice　trembled　a　little。

Nora　dropped　quickly　to　her　knees；　taking　her　mother　in　her　arms。　〃Don't　we　all　know；　Mother；　what　he　has　done？　　Shall　I　ever　forget　those　first　two　awful　years；　the　winter　mornings　when　he　had　to　get　up　before　daylight　to　get　the　house　warm；　and　that　awful　school。　Every　day　he　had　to　face　it；　rain；　sleet；　or　forty　below。　　How　often　I　have　watched　him　in　the　school；　always　so　white　and　tired。　But　he　never　gave　up。　　He　just　would　not　give　up。　　And　when　those　big　boys　were　unrulyI　could　have　killed　those　boyshe　would　always　keep　his　temper　and　joke　and　jolly　them　into　good　order。　And　all　the　time　I　knew　how　terribly　his　head　was　aching。　　What　are　you　sniffling　about；　Kate？〃

〃I　think　it　was　splendid；　just　splendid；　Nora；〃　cried　Kathleen；　swiftly　wiping　away　her　tears。　　〃But　I　can't　help　crying；　it　was　all　so　terrible。　　He　never　thought　of　himself；　and　year　after　year　he　gave　up　his　money〃

〃Hello！〃　cried　a　voice　at　the　door。　　〃Who　gave　up　his　money　and　to　whom　and　is　there　any　more　around？〃　　His　eye　glanced　around　the　group。　　〃What's　up；　people？　　Mummie；　are　these　girls　behaving　badly？　　Let　me　catch　them　at　it！〃　　The　youth　stood　smiling　down　upon　them。　　His　years　in　the　West　had　done　much　for　him。　　He　was　still　slight；　but　though　his　face　was　pale　and　his　body　thin；　his　movements　suggested　muscular　strength　and　sound　health。　　He　had　not　grown　handsome。　　His　features　were　irregular；　mouth　wide；　cheek　bones　prominent；　ears　large；　yet　withal　there　was　a　singular　attractiveness　about　his　appearance　and　manner。　　His　eyes　were　good；　grey…blue；　humorous；　straight…looking　eyes　they　were；　deep　set　under　overhanging　brows；　and　with　a　whimsical　humour　ever　lingering　about　them；　over　the　eyes　a　fore…head；　broad；　suggesting　intellect；　and　set　off　by　heavy；　waving；　dark　hair。

〃Who　gave　his　money？　　I　insist　upon　knowing。　　No　reply；　eh？　　I　have　evidently　come　upon　a　deep　and　deadly　plot。　　Mother？no　use　asking　you。　　Kathleen；　out　with　it。〃

〃You　gave　your　money；〃　burst　forth　Nora　in　a　kind　of　passion　as　she　flew　at　him；　〃and　everything　else。　　But　now　that's　all　over。　　You　are　going　to　finish　your　college　course　this　year；　that's　what。〃

〃Oh；　that's　it；　eh？　　I　knew　there　was　some　women's　sc