"It is," said his daughter, "a little difficult to understand you."

Deringham pointed to the two mounted figures just entering the brush,
and the girl fancied that something had ruffled him. He could be
unpleasant when that happened.

"Alton of Somasco is a somewhat busy man, but both he and his partner
seem to have suspended their energies this morning," he said. "No
doubt wild-beast taming has its fascination, but one might fancy it was
apt to prove a somewhat disconcerting and perilous amusement."

"Yes?" said the girl in a tone of languid inquiry.

Deringham nodded. "One can never tell when the beast may revert to his
primitive instincts, and do something unpleasant," he said. "This one
is also evidently of somewhat uncertain temperament. We are told that
Una had a lion, but the effect of the story would have been diminished
if it had been recorded that the king of the forest divided his
allegiance."

Miss Deringham was now convinced that her father was not pleased. "I
have not noticed anything especially leonine about Mr. Seaforth," she
said.

"No," said Deringham dryly. "The Honourable Charley appears to be an
admirable young man of the domestic feline species, but I don't know of
any reason that would make it advisable to waste powder and shot over
him."