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Rh by her legitimate protector, and it was she herself, partly out of perversity, who claimed Trant as a cavalier. The half-castes jogged ahead, Frank Hallett and Lady Waveryng followed, and then Minnie Pryde and a young bushman who showed symptoms of adoration. Mr. Craig was a well-to-do squatter, albeit rough in his ways, and Elsie thought that Minnie meant business this time, and she wondered how she should like Minnie for a neighbour on the Lower Luya, where was being built the splendid new house which she and Frank were to inhabit after their honeymoon and the English trip. Lord Horace and Mrs. Allanby were behind everyone else. Sam Shehan was riding sulkily in front of Elsie and Trant.

"Sam," called out Trant, "you'd better push ahead and see about the camp."

Sam took no notice. Trant looked annoyed. "Sam is not in the best of tempers," he said. "This kind of ladies' picnic is not much in his way. I'll go and give him a bit of my mind."

Trant spurred his horse, and the two were presently in a somewhat animated conference. It struck Elsie that it was Shehan who was giving his master a bit of his mind. Elsie lagged. She looked round for Lord Horace. And then she saw what gave her an odd start and opened her eyes to the state of affairs. Lord Horace was bending close to Mrs. Allanby. The faces of the two were turned to each other. Lord Horace looked very handsome: he was evidently pleading, and Mrs. Allanby was listening to him with a dreamy passionate eagerness. Elsie had never seen that expression upon her still, reserved face. The girl knew intuitively that the woman loved her brother-in-law. And then she saw Lord Horace bend closer still, and as the two horses touched, Lord Horace laid a kiss upon Mrs. Allanby's responsive lips. Elsie's heart swelled with anger and shame. A fierce blush came to her face—that Ina should be so insulted!—Ina, who was angelic in her goodness to Horace. Did Ina know or guess? and was this the cause of Ina's pale sad face? Or was it possible that Ina knew and