"Now, Lady Mary," replied Maimie, "I want my lion to be led about and exhibited, and I give him over to you."For some time Ranald stood near, chatting to two or three people to whom Lady Mary had introduced him, but listening eagerly all the while to Maimie talking to the men who were crowded about her. How brilliantly she talked, finding it quite within her powers to keep several men busy at the same time; and as Ranald listened to her gay, frivolous talk, more and more he became conscious of an unpleasantness in her tone. It was thin, shallow, and heartless.
"Can it be possible," he said to himself, "that once she had the power to make my heart quicken its beat?""Tell me about the West," Lady Mary was saying, when Ranald came to himself.
"If I begin about the West," he replied, "I must have both time and space to deliver myself.""Come, then. We shall find a corner," said Lady Mary, and for half an hour did Ranald discourse to her of the West, and so eloquently that Lady Mary quite forgot that he was a lion and that she had been intrusted with the duty of exhibiting him. By and by Maimie found them.
"Now, Lady Mary, you are very selfish, for so many people are wanting to see our hero, and here is the premier wanting to see you.""Ah, Lady Mary," said Sir John, "you have captured the man from Glengarry, I see.""I hope so, indeed," said Lady Mary; "but why from Glengarry? He is from the West, is he not?""Once from Glengarry, now from the West, and I hope he will often come from the West, and he will, no doubt, if those people know what is good for them." And Sir John, skillfully drawing Ranald aside, led him to talk of the political situation in British Columbia, now and then putting a question that revealed a knowledge so full and accurate that Ranald exclaimed, suddenly, "Why, Sir John, you know more about the country than I do!""Not at all, not at all," replied Sir John; and then, lowering his voice to a confidential tone, he added, "You are the first man from that country that knows what I want to know." And once more he plied Ranald with questions, listening eagerly and intelligently to the answers so enthusiastically given.
"We want to make this Dominion a great empire," said Sir John, as he said good by to Ranald, "and we are going to do it, but you and men like you in the West must do your part."Ranald was much impressed by the premier's grave earnestness.
"I will try, Sir John," he said, "and I shall go back feeling thankful that you are going to show us the way.""Going so soon?" said Maimie, when he came to say good by. "Why Ihave seen nothing of you, and I have not had a moment to offer you my congratulations," she said, with a significant smile. Ranald bowed his thanks.
"And Kate, dear girl," went on Maimie, "she never comes to see me now, but I am glad she will be so happy."Ranald looked at her steadily for a moment or two, and then said, quietly, "I am sure I hope so, and Harry is a very lucky chap.""Oh, isn't he," cried Maimie, "and he is just daft about her. Must you go? I am so sorry. I wanted to talk about old times, the dear old days." The look in Maimie's eyes said much more than her words.
"Yes," said Ranald, with an easy, frank smile; "they were dear days, indeed; I often think of them. And now I must really go.
Say good by to De Lacy for me."
He came away from her with an inexplicable feeling of exultation.
He had gone with some slight trepidation in his heart, to meet her, and it was no small relief to him to discover that she had lost all power over him.
"What sort of man could I have been, I wonder?" he asked himself;"and it was only three years ago."
Near the door Lady Mary stopped him. "Going so early, and without saying good by?" she said, reproachfully.
"I must leave town to-night," he replied, "but I am glad to say good by to you.""I think you ought to stay. I am sure His Excellency wants to see you.""I am sure you are good to think so, but I am also quite sure that he has never given a thought to my insignificant self.""Indeed he has. Now, can't you stay a few days? I want to see more--we all want to hear more about the West.""You will never know the West by hearing of it," said Ranald, offering his hand.
"Good by," she said, "I am coming."
"Good," he said, "I shall look for you."
As Ranald approached his hotel, he saw a man that seemed oddly familiar, lounging against the door and as he drew near, he discovered to his astonishment and joy that it was Yankee.
"Why, Yankee!" he exclaimed, rushing at him, "how in the world did you come to be here, and what brought you?""Well, I came for you, I guess. Heard you were going to be here and were comin' home afterwards, so I thought it would be quicker for you to drive straight across than to go round by Cornwall, so Ihitched up Lisette and came right along."
"Lisette! You don't mean to tell me? How is the old girl?
Yankee, you have done a fine thing. Now we will start right away.""All right," said Yankee.
"How long will it take us to get home?"
"'Bout two days easy goin,' I guess. Of course if you want, Iguess we can do it in a day and a half. She will do all you tell her.""Well, we will take two days," said Ranald.
"I guess we had better take a pretty early start," said Yankee.
