Alison recognized that she had a quick-witted antagonist.
"I believe I have already admitted that I was prejudiced against Winthrop."
"That," returned Thorne, "is, perhaps, from your point of view, no more than natural. In fact, I'm not sure I could say he was right in everything he has done." He paused a moment. "But, I shouldn't like to think that your prejudice extends to Lucy."
Alison had not expected this, and she wondered with some resentment exactly what he meant to imply.
"Of course," he added, "some of her ideas and some of the things she says might jar on you, but that doesn't count for very much, after all. The girl's staunch all through, and the way she has stuck to Winthrop in his trouble and the way she has run the farm would compel the respect of any one who understood what she has had to put up with."
Alison wondered whether he wished to reassure her concerning Lucy's devotion to her lover, which, as she remembered, the girl herself had already done; but she scarcely fancied that he would adopt such a course as this. It would, at least, be very much out of harmony with his usual conduct.
"I venture to believe that Lucy and I will be good friends in the future," she said.
Slaney and the trooper were now rapidly approaching, and a minute or two later Thorne pulled up and turned to the corporal, who reined in his horse close beside the wagon.
"You have something to say to me?" he asked.
"Yes," replied Slaney; "it's this: Do you know where Jake Winthrop is?"