Q: Chapter LX

How Mrs. Bolton Was Nearly Conquered

One morning about the middle of October, Robert Bolton walked out from Cambridge to Puritan Grange with a letter in his pocket,--a very long and a very serious letter. The day was that on which the Secretary of State was closeted with the barrister, and on the evening of which he at length determined that Caldigate should be allowed to go free. There had, therefore, been no pardon granted,--as yet. But in the letter the writer stated that such pardon would, almost certainly, be awarded.

It was from William Bolton, in London, to his brother the attorney, and was written with the view of proving to all the Boltons at Cambridge, that it was their duty to acknowledge Hester as the undoubted wife of John Caldigate; and recommended also that, for Hester's sake, they should receive him as her husband. The letter had been written with very great care, and had been powerful enough to persuade Robert Bolton of the truth of the first proposition.

It was very long, and as it repeated all the details of the evidence for and against the verdict, it shall not be repeated here at its full length. Its intention was to show that, looking at probabilities, and judging from all that was known, there was much more reason to suppose that there had been no marriage at Ahalala than that there had been one. The writer acknowledged that, while the verdict stood confirmed against the man, Hester's family were bound to regard it, and to act as though they did not doubt its justice;--but that when that verdict should be set aside,--as far as any criminal verdict can be set aside,--by the Queen's pardon, then the family would be bound to suppose that they who advised her Majesty had exercised a sound discretion.

1. William Bolton
2. October
3. Ahalala
4. Robert Bolton
5. Puritan Grange
6. yes
7. in his pocket
8. in London
9. yes
10. he should go free
11. the Queen's
12. the truth of the first proposition
13. no
14. Hester
15. the Boltons
16. no
17. evidence for and against the verdict
18. no
19. yes
20. yes

Numbered questions:
1. who was the letter from?
2. what month was this?
3. where was the marriage?
4. who walked from Cambridge?
5. to where?
6. did he have the letter?
7. where was it?
8. where was william?
9. Was Robert the attorney?
10. what was going to be decided about Caldigate that day?
11. who was to decide this?
12. what had the let pursuaded robert of?
13. was the letter writer certain of the pardon?
14. who was John's wife?
15. who was to accept this?
16. was the letter written haphazardly?
17. what details did it have?
18. was it showing that there was a marriage or not?
19. were they supposed to accept the verdict?
20. were they to welcome her husband?

Q: CHAPTER XXVIII

A dozen times that morning, dictating to Blake or indicating answers, Dick had been on the verge of saying to let the rest of the correspondence go.

"Call up Hennessy and Mendenhall," he told Blake, when, at ten, the latter gathered up his notes and rose to go. "You ought to catch them at the stallion barn. Tell them not to come this morning but to-morrow morning."

Bonbright entered, prepared to shorthand Dick's conversations with his managers for the next hour.

"And--oh, Mr. Blake," Dick called. "Ask Hennessy about Alden Bessie.-- The old mare was pretty bad last night," he explained to Bonbright.

"Mr. Hanley must see you right away, Mr. Forrest," Bonbright said, and added, at sight of the irritated drawing up of his employer's brows, "It's the piping from Buckeye Dam. Something's wrong with the plans--a serious mistake, he says."

Dick surrendered, and for an hour discussed ranch business with his foremen and managers.

Once, in the middle of a hot discussion over sheep-dips with Wardman, he left his desk and paced over to the window. The sound of voices and horses, and of Paula's laugh, had attracted him.

"Take that Montana report--I'll send you a copy to-day," he continued, as he gazed out. "They found the formula didn't get down to it. It was more a sedative than a germicide. There wasn't enough kick in it..."

Four horses, bunched, crossed his field of vision. Paula, teasing the pair of them, was between Martinez and Froelig, old friends of Dick, a painter and sculptor respectively, who had arrived on an early train. Graham, on Selim, made the fourth, and was slightly edged toward the rear. So the party went by, but Dick reflected that quickly enough it would resolve itself into two and two.

1. for an hour
2. his foremen and managers
3. ranch business
4. Dick
5. over to the window
6. Paula's laugh
7. Yes
8. Four horses
9. Yes
10. teasing them
11. Martinez
12. Yes
13. Froelig
14. Yes
15. an early train
16. Selim

Numbered questions:
1. How long did Dick discuss business?
2. With whom?
3. What kind of business where they talking about?
4. Which of the men left the conversation desk?
5. Where did he go?
6. What sound caught his interest?
7. Did he see her?
8. How many horses were near her?
9. Was Paula interacting with them?
10. Doing what?
11. Which one of Dick's friends was a painter?
12. Did he also know a sculptor?
13. Who?
14. Had they been friends for a long time?
15. When did they arrive?
16. Who was the rider at the back of the group?

Q: CHAPTER VI

BETTY DEMANDS HELP

On the evening of Austin's return to Las Palmas he and Jefferson smoked and talked on the veranda steps. Mrs. Austin and Mrs. Jefferson were occupied with some sewing at a table near the lamp, but Olivia was not about. She had gone to a concert at the Metropole with a young English tourist whom Mrs. Austin approved. For all that, Mrs. Austin did not know how far Olivia approved and she was bothered about Kit. He had been longer than she had expected, and to some extent perhaps she was accountable for him. Mrs. Austin generally meant well and as a rule her plans to help people worked, but Kit was headstrong and had not left much to her.

She wondered what Austin thought about her sending off the _Cayman_. Harry did not say much and he had been occupied since his return. Jefferson had, no doubt, talked to Muriel, but Muriel was sometimes reserved. Now Jefferson and Harry were together, Mrs. Austin thought she might, if she were cautious, get a useful hint.

"I would rather like to get up an excursion to the mountains for Mrs. Gardner's party. She was Muriel's friend in England, and we have not done much to amuse her," she said. "However, I expect you could not join us?"

"You mustn't count on Jake and me," Austin replied. "We have let things go long enough."

"Yet the business kept going. In fact, I imagine it went pretty well."

"That is so," Austin agreed with a smile. "We know where you got your talents, and things do go well when Don Pancho resumes control. All the same, he's had enough and I am needed."

1. BETTY
2. Don Pancho
3. evening
4. to Las Palmas
5. Jefferson
6. some sewing
7. a table near the lamp
8. Olivia
9. the Metropole
10. a concert
11. a young English tourist
12. yes
13. the mountains
14. Mrs. Gardner's party
15. Muriel's
16. England
17. yes
18. Mrs. Austin

Numbered questions:
1. Who requires assistance?
2. Stuff goes correctly when whom takes "control"?
3. What time of day did he get back?
4. And he cam back where?
5. Who was conversing with him outside?
6. What were their wives doing at that time?
7. Where at?
8. Who wasn't there?
9. Where was she?
10. Why was she there?
11. Who was she with?
12. Did her mom approve of her friend?
13. Where did they want to take take a brief trip to?
14. For what reason?
15. and whose friend is that?
16. From where?
17. Did the establishment keep going?
18. Who was responsible for Kit?