They're all in the bargain--and the others make up for them." She noticed his swift change of expression, and did not urge him to explain what he meant.
"Anyway, what I have to do is a good deal nicer than handling heavy rails," he added, with a rather grim smile.
Ida fancied that this was a clumsy attempt to qualify his previous statement, and she said nothing further until they reached the camp.
Mrs.Kinnaird kept her occupied for the next hour or two; and that evening when she was sitting on the veranda she heard Grenfell speaking to his comrade not far away.
"Why did you bring that canoe down ?" he asked.
"Miss Stirling wanted it," said Weston.
"What did she want with it, anyway ?" It was evident from Weston's voice that he was not anxious to pursue that subject.
"I don't know," he said.

"It paddles easier than the other one." "Well," said Grenfell, "you and I are going to have trouble taking the blame thing up the river again.

It's quite different from coming down.
I suppose you shot the fall ?" "I didn't." Grenfell's tone suggested astonishment.
"You hauled the canoe over the portage! What made you do that, when you have twice come down the fall ?" Ida started at this, and leaned forward eagerly to catch Weston's answer.
"I fancied there might be a little risk in it, and I had Miss Stirling with me." Ida felt her face grow warm as she remembered that she had twitted him with having less nerve than the Indians; but Grenfell apparently was not yet satisfied.
"You could have sent the girl on, and then have shot the fall," he said.

"It would have saved you quite a lot of trouble." "Oh, yes," agreed Weston, who appeared to resent his curiosity.
"Still, I didn't." Grenfell moved away, and Ida recognized now that, in spite of a good deal of provocation, Weston had acted with laudable delicacy.

It was clear that his obduracy in the matter of taking her down the fall had been due to a regard for her safety.