furniture or the severity of mission art. Roger was not at all sure of it himself; it wasn’t the kind of thing he would go in for, and yet it stirred him pleasantly. He supposed it was only because it was on the banks of the Wairoa that it took on the significance it did. Of course he had told his wife all about it, and it was too good a glimpse of sin to be kept in the family. All Dargaville knew that Dane lounged about like a woman on gorgeous cushions, and that his rooms were filled with colour and scent. The pioneer spirit, conveniently recent enough to be quoted, was offended.
III
The two men listened in silence to records by Harry Lauder and Melba and Caruso. But Roger was not fond of music. After a while as he refilled his pipe he turned to his host.
“Have you seen Miss Carr yet?” he asked.
“Yes, turned her off my land one day.”
“What!”
Dane raised his face a little, peering at Roger, who was blurred against the wall out of the line of any light.
“Fact. But I did not know till afterwards that it was she. Then I went to the office and apologized.”
“Oh, you did?”
“Why, of course. I wouldn’t willingly be a beast to the daughter of Dave Carr, or to anybody else’s daughter, for that matter.”
“She’s a character.”
“Is she?”
“What did you think of her?”
“Why, nothing. I noticed she had fine defiant eyes
