"Have you quite done?" she said.
"I? Certainly, my dear." Garman was nettled at her self-mastery. "Mrs. Livingstone, perhaps Annette has a word or two she wishes to speak to Payne. Shall we ride on and give them a moment alone?"
"I am sure Annette can have nothing to say to this Mr. Payne," replied
Mrs. Livingstone quickly.
"Don't you be so sure of that," said Garman curtly. "Youth calls to youth!"
Annette's riding crop fell suddenly upon her mount and she went past
Roger on the gallop out onto the prairie.
"Youth calls to youth!" repeated Garman staring after her with angry eyes. "Mrs. Livingstone, don't you remember when you were young; when you had ideals and hopes of realizing them, and you could love, nobly and purely, without thinking of money?—ha, ha, ha! Must you really follow Annette? Really!"
He pulled his horse close to Roger.
"Well, Payne, how do you like my rat pit? Hard to get out of, eh?
Don't waste your time trying; I've made sure you're going to stay put."
"I've been thinking," said Roger calmly, "that perhaps the best act of my life would be to pull the gun inside my shirt and shoot you through the head right here."
"Don't talk nonsense; you can't; you're too civilized. Besides—Hi, there!—Look behind you, Payne."