Big Game - A Story for Girls

Life flowed on very quietly and uneventfully at the Nag's Head during

the next few days. The clergyman and his son were determined walkers,

who set out each morning on a new expedition over the countryside, and

at the evening dinner boasted of the number of miles they had traversed.

What they had seen appeared to be of secondary importance, and they

were correspondingly depressed or elated according as they had fallen

short of, or surpassed previous records of distance.

Mr Macalister sat in the garden, reading day-old editions of the

"Glasga He-rald" from the front page to the last, while his wife made

pilgrimages to the village shop to buy infinitesimal articles of

drapery, and exchange details of domestic history with the good lady in

charge of the emporium.

Mr George Elgood went out fishing in a river two or three miles

distant, accompanied sometimes by his brother, but for the most part by

himself. He also sat at his bedroom window, writing by the hour

together, and always and at all times he avoided his fellow-guests with

a quiet persistence which could not be gainsaid. By the time that

Margot had been in the inn for four days, he had advanced to the point

of bidding her good-night and good morning, staring steadily at a point

about a yard above her head, while on one historic occasion he even

brought himself to remark that it was a fine day. Once also, looking up

suddenly at dinner, she met his eyes fixed upon her with an expression

of intent scrutiny; but he turned aside in evident perturbation at being

discovered, and though the little puss thereafter wore her prettiest

dresses, and took special pains with the arrangement of her hair, the

incident was never repeated.

Goaded thereto by his sister's entreaties, Ronald had proposed himself

as the companion of a morning's fishing expedition, but he returned home

bored and irritated, and could not be persuaded to repeat the

experiment. As Mr Elgood had left him at one point in the stream, and

himself repaired to another some two hundred yards distant, the

opportunities for conversation had been limited, while not even a twitch

of the line had rewarded his amateur efforts.

Margot coaxed, reasoned, and finally stormed, but to no avail. In a

quiet, amiable fashion, Ronald could be as obstinate as a mule, and he

was plainly determined to go his own way. The sun shone; the

surroundings were magnificent; he was free from the jarring dissensions

of home; in easy, light-hearted manner he was content to live for the

moment, and shut his eyes to troubles ahead.

"Remember what the Chieftain said to as the first day we were here!" he

protested vigorously. "We ought to cultivate the spirit of children; to

rejoice in the present, and trust for the future; whereas you want me to

begin worrying the very first thing. I do call it stupid of you,

Margot!"