"You will be surprised to hear I now come from New York. Dale telegraphed me to meet some railway men, so I have been there ever since."
"But won"t your interests north-east suffer by your absence?"
"Oh, not materially, I hope; still I am anxious to be on the spot. There is a splendid mine out that way I should like to get hold of."
"Iron, I suppose?"
"Oh, yes; it is, you know, to be the great industry of the future."
"But you only mean if we get Commercial Union?"
"Yes, as far as Canada is concerned."
"What is the name of this special mine you covet? I have heard Mr. Dale speak of several; this may be one."
"It is the Snowden, in Victoria county; the ore is a fine grained magnet.i.te; the mine is favorably situated, having a railway running into it."
"Indeed! all very favorable; do you think you will succeed in becoming a purchaser?"
"Of that, I regret to say, I am somewhat doubtful, as I am told there are several obstructionists connected with it; but I am not going to worry about it," he said, quietly; "if I don"t get it, there are others."
"What an easy temperament you have," she said, looking into his quiet unmoved countenance.
"My dear Mrs. Gower, I hold that a man should have himself under such perfect control as to be able to look at himself, in a manner of speaking, with other eyes; sit in judgment upon himself; dissect his motives, reward or punish. I look upon one who lets loose the reins of reason, giving blind pa.s.sion or impulse full swing, as only an animal of the swine family, whatever his name may be," he said, smiling.
"What must he think of me," she thought; I am as impulsive as a Celt.
"What a superior race of beings man would be were his convictions your convictions."
"I think he would be happier, for he would not give way to excitement, which is, in my opinion, a sort of insanity; and also in its reaction, which is melancholy."
"That reaction, after excitement, is one of the strongest blue ribbon arguments; we had a "chalk talk" thereon at the Pavilion on last Sunday afternoon; what do you think of the Prohibition movement?"
"I go with it, to the letter, for the ma.s.s of humanity cannot, or will not, control themselves; how do you go?"
"I believe in temperance in all things. Professor Blackie says, "We have too much of everything in our day; too much eating, too much drinking, too much preaching, etc;" and I am so far at one with him, that I believe in temperance, and coffee, even on New Year"s Day," she added, smiling. "Stop, driver, please."
"Come, get in, Miss O"Sullivan, and a Happy New Year to you, dear; this is my friend, Mr. Buckingham."
"I was on my way to your place, Mrs. Gower, to ask Miss Crew to come and spend the day."
"She is out with some friends; but you must lunch with me, and wait for her."
"Whose is that large, hospitable house, Mrs. Gower, at the head of St.
George Street?" asked Miss O"Sullivan.
"A Colonel Sweeney"s, dear, who, I was going to say, has a heart as large as his house, he is so kindly hospitable."
Here they overtook Mr. Blair, whose handsome face lit with pleasure, as he lifted his hat; and, somehow, Mrs. Gower was glad of the advent of the young lady, though, before seeing him, she had not minded her _tete-a-tete_ with Mr. Buckingham, with whom she likes to talk.
In a few minutes Holmnest is reached, when Mrs. Gower, telling Mr.
Buckingham to make himself at home, he must stay for luncheon, and until it is time to take the Midland rail, went upstairs to make her toilette for the day.
Mr. Buckingham looks and feels at home ensconced in a deep, softly padded chair, near the blazing grate, in the restful library; he is soon lost in the _Iron Age_.
On Miss O"Sullivan, a sweet-faced, blue-eyed girl, entering, looking bright as the morning in her pretty red woollen frock, the occupant, with the innate courtesy of his countrymen, laying aside his newspaper, adapted himself to her girlish chit-chat in a manner that charmed her, until the entrance of Mrs. Gower, in a very becoming gown of brown silk, with old gold plush tr.i.m.m.i.n.g, ecru lace chemisette, and elbow sleeves--for she dressed for all day, and any friends who may come to wish her a glad New Year; she first goes to the kitchen to see that the machinery is actively in motion, as she had set it before going to the polls; one servant maid, with the boy, Thomas, being sufficient for the requirements of her cosy little home.
"Well, you both do look comfortable," she said, entering the library.
"Yes; I think we do," said Miss O"Sullivan.
"We only want you to want nothing more," he said, in pleased tones, placing a rattan chair, with its dark green velvet cushioned back and seat, and turning the fire screen to protect her face.
"Not yet, thanks; my poor palms have had no water to-day. How do you think my plants are looking, Mr. Buckingham?"
"Very fine; but if you kept them more moist they would do still better; but most amateur gardeners make a like mistake," he said, cutting some bits of scarlet geranium; "this bit of color will make your costume perfect."
"The costume! but what about the woman?"
"Oh, the woman knows right well," he said, leading her to the mirror.
"Give me the good taste of an American gentleman, in preference to a mirror, which is frequently untrue."
"Luncheon is served, ma"am."
CHAPTER XXII.
"BETTER LO"ED YE CANNA BE."
After a substantial luncheon, to which they bring good appet.i.tes, given by their exhilarating outing in the frosty air, they cross the hall to the drawing-room, when Thomas opened the door to Miss Crew and Mr.
Cobbe.
"Ah, here is our truant," said Mrs. Gower.
"Me!" laughed Cobbe, wishing her the compliments of the season.
Mr. Buckingham thought he detected a slight cloud of dissatisfaction pa.s.s over her face, even as she welcomed him.
"I have made fifteen calls already; the fair s.e.x like to be remembered, Buckingham."
"Man is too selfish to forget what he could not do without, Cobbe."
"Give me an American for a due appreciation of our s.e.x," said Mrs.
Gower, gaily.