Asa Redbird was there, having driven Barney over with a team and a buckboard; and after Ethel had spoken to the Indian and while he was carrying her bags to the buckboard and while she still supposed they were all to drive to the lake together, she appealed to Barney: "Oh, why did you bring Asa? Can't we drive back alone?"
"You'd rather? Or would you, by any chance, care about walking with me—"
"Barney; I thought all night about doing that!"
"Did you? Then you're not too tired, dear?"
"Tired—now?"
So they sent Asa ahead, and side by side and hand in hand, as soon as they were out of sight of others, they set off down the St. Florentin road together.
"Barney, how's cousin Agnes—your mother!"
"In remarkably good shape, considering everything. She's had a total of seven operations; but the last is over now. You'll see her soon."
"What a terribly hard thing she did!"
"You mean—"
"At Mrs. Stanton-Fielding's."
"What do you know about that?"
"Oh, Barney, Bennet wrote me everything."
"He did? I wondered what he'd do; he's a good sort at bottom."
"Barney; about grandfather? What happened to him?"
"How much have you heard, Ethel?"
"Just that he left his hotel and hasn't been heard of."
"No one knows more; nothing's been seen of him since that afternoon."
"Then grandmother?"
