unpleasant silence. Even Seaforth did not seem to know what to say,
though he felt an absurd desire to laugh, and Alice Deringham was at
once relieved and somewhat astonished when Alton put an end to it by a
whimsical story of a raw Englishman's camp cookery. Seaforth followed
it with a better one, and the whole four were laughing when the cook
came back again. He smiled at them reassuringly as he put the teapot
down.

"I guess there's enough this time," he said. "It's that full I could
scarcely get the lid on."

The tea was strong, and acrid with the sting of the wood smoke, but
there was no avoiding another cupful, and Deringham drank determinedly,
while his daughter felt that she had made full atonement when she set
her cup down half empty. Then Alton, who explained that he had
something to attend to, went away, and Seaforth smiled at the girl when
Deringham went in for another cigar.

"I wonder if one might venture to congratulate you on your resolution?"
he said.

"If I knew exactly what you meant I could answer more readily," said
Alice Deringham.

"Well," said Seaforth reflectively, "I fancy you do, and, if it's any
comfort to you, I think Harry does too. He is considerably less of a
fool than folks who do not understand this country might suppose him to
be; but the point is, that if he can prevent it you will not suffer an
infliction of this kind again."