— she threw him a merry glance from which all
resentment had wholly departed — "Rufus looks —
and is — just like a great red ox."

** Don't you be pert!" said Mrs. Peck, stooping
stoutly over the fire. **Get a duster and dust
them plates!"

Columbine laughed again with her chin in the air.
She f oimd a duster and occupied herself as desired.
Her eyes were upon her work. Plainly she was
not looking at Rufus, not apparently thinking of
him. But — very suddenly — without changing her
attitude, she flashed him a swift glance. He was
looking straight at her, and in his blue eyes was an
intense, deep glow as of flaming spirit.
Columbine's look shot away from him with the
rapidity of a swallow on the wing. The colour
deepened in her cheeks.
*T'raps he's almost more Uke a prize bull," she




The Minotaur 37

said meditatively. ** Perhaps he's a Minotaur,
Aunt Liza. Do you think he is?"

'*My dear, I don't know what you're talking
about, " said Mrs. Peck, with a touch of acidity.
Columbine laughed a little. "Do you know,
Rufus?" she said.
She did not look at him with the question ; there
was a quivering dimple in her red cheek that came
and went.
"I'd like to know, " said Rufus with simplicity.
"Would you, really?" Coltunbine polished the
last plate vigorously and set it down. "The
Minotaur," she said, in the tone of a schoolmis-
tress delivering a lecture, "was a monster, half-
bull, half -man, who lived in a place like the Spear
Point Caves, and devoured young men and maid-
ens. You live nearer to the Caves than any one
else, don't you, Rufus?"

Again she ventured a darting glance at him.
