The man who entered was of medium height, thickset, and his hair and beard were red. His face was far from prepossessing.

He looked at the visitors, and then at his wife inquiringly.

"So you have company?" he said.

"Yes, Ralph," answered the woman, rather nervously. "I told them we didn\'t keep a hotel, but they offered me five dollars to take care of them and the horse till morning."

The man\'s face lost its scowl. The sum offered made an impression.

"You did right," he said. "I am willing to accommodate. Where\'s the horse?"

"We put him in the barn."

"All right. And where may you be from?" he asked, addressing the earl.

"I am an Englishman."

"Are you in any business?"

[Pg 228]

"Not at present."

"But you have money?"

This remark was accompanied by a look of keen curiosity.

"I have some," answered the earl, cautiously.

"He is going to buy out a store in Buffalo," put in the woman.

"What sort of a store?"

"I haven\'t decided yet," replied the earl, who did not choose to take the man into his confidence.

"It takes a power of money to buy a store."

"It depends on the nature of the business, I should think."

"About how much do you mean to invest?"

"Really, the fellow is getting impertinent," thought his guest.

"I don\'t think I can answer that question," he answered.

Their host took from a shelf a dirty clay pipe, filled it with tobacco, and began to smoke. The fumes were far from pleasant, and the earl, rising from his chair, signaled to Scott to go outside with him.

"Where are you going?" asked the red-haired man.

"We are going to take a walk."

[Pg 229]

"Has he paid you the five dollars?" asked the man, addressing his wife.

"No."

"Then you may as well hand it over," said the host.

"Certainly, if you wish it now."

"That is safest. You might take your horse and give us the slip. Then we\'d be so much out."

"What do you take us for?" demanded the earl, indignantly.

"I don\'t know anything about you. You may be gentlemen, or——"

"This will settle the question," and the earl took out his wallet, and from a thick roll of bills picked out a five-dollar note, and handed it to the woman.

"Give it here to me, Sarah," said her husband, sharply. "I take charge of the money."

With meek obedience she passed the bill to him.

He scrutinized it closely, but the result of his inspection seemed to be favorable, and he put it away in his vest pocket.

Scott noticed that he had regarded the roll of bills with a covetous glance, and he felt that the earl had been imprudent in making such a display of his money.

[Pg 230]

"It\'s all right," their host said, slowly. "You\'re an honest man. You pay your bills."

The earl smiled, and opening the outer door, went out, followed by Scott.

"What do you think of our host, Scott?" he asked.

"I distrust him, Mr. Grant. I am sorry you showed him that roll of bills."

"It may have been imprudent, but I don\'t think there is any danger of his attempting to rob me."

"He was curious to learn your business. I wonder what his is."

"To-morrow we shall leave the house, and we are never likely to meet him again," said the earl, indifferently. "So it is hardly worth thinking about."

They strolled along in a leisurely way, and sat down under a tree, about a mile distant from their home. Under the same tree reclined a young man who looked like a farmer or a farmer\'s assistant.

"Good-evening," said the earl, courteously.

"Good-evening, sir."

"Do you live hereabouts?"

"Yes, I am working for my uncle, who owns a farm not far from here. You are a stranger, are you not?"

[Pg 231]

"Yes, my friend and myself are staying at Niagara. We were taking............