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go. She very kindly said she had a spare ticket, and a vacant seat in the car, but I said I’d rather not———”

“Because of this gossip? My dear, put all that nonsense out of your pretty, sensible little head once and for all.” He rose, and patted her kindly on the shoulder. “I’ll ring up Mary this minute, and tell her you’re going.”

“But . . .”

“Wouldn’t you like to go? It’s a glorious day. The outing will do you good.”

“Mrs. Ford may have given away the ticket.”

“I can soon get another if she has.”

He moved back to the telephone on his table, and after getting the number said:

“That you, Mary? Miss Merrill is going with you after all . . . Yes . . . Yes . . . You’ll call for her at eleven-thirty? Right. Here—I say, Mary. Vera Holmes arrived back in Wairiri last night. She and Dick left for Tirau early this morning. She’s been very ill in Sydney. Pity people haven’t anything better to do than putting ridiculous rumors afloat, isn’t it?” Evidently something was said at the other end, for he laughed. “No, that’d be making too much importance of it. Good-by.”

He turned to Ann as he put down the receiver.

“Mary says she’s now got to do her best to see that you aren’t lionized. Run straight away back to your rooms and put on your best bib and tucker. Off you go!”

Ann tried to thank him for his kindness, but he would not listen to her.

“Stuff and nonsense—I’ve one no more for you than I’d do for any young woman in Wairiri.”

That was true. Ann knew that he was as large-