There was Buddy, full of exciting anecdotes about Rambler, and how he had rubbed the liniment on, all alone, and Rambler never kicked or did a thing; and how he and Josephine rode clear over to Jenson's and got caught in the storm and almost got lost--only Buddy's horse knew the way home.

And, later, there was Mrs.Kate's excellent supper and gracious welcome, and an evening devoted to four-handed cribbage--with Josephine and Mason as implacable adversaries--and a steady undercurrent of latent hostility between him and the girl, which prevented his thinking much about himself and his duty to Mason.

There was everything, in fact, to thwart a man's resolution to discharge honorably a disagreeable duty, and to distract his attention.
Ford went to bed with the baffled sense of being placed in a false position against his will; and, man-like, he speedily gave over thinking of that, and permitted his thoughts to dwell upon a certain face which owned a perfectly amazing pair of lashes, and upon a manner tantalizingly aloof, with glimpses now and then of fascinating possibilities in the way of comradeship, when the girl inadvertently lowered her guard in the excitement of close playing..