“Oh, but it wasn’t carelessness!  You don’t know Buster.  He’s the cleverest dog!  He hid.  I had no idea that he was with me until he bounded past me at the church door.  And though I whistled and tried to grab him he was in before I knew it.  I’ll make him sit up meekly and beg your pardon.”

A flush of what in a layman might have been anger crimsoned the minister’s cheek.

“You are well aware,” stiffly, “that I am not referring to the incident of the dog.”

“To what then?  I am sorry I wasn’t listening but you seemed to be scolding and I couldn’t think of anything else.”  Even the abstruse Mr. Macnair saw that her surprise was genuine.  His tone grew gentler.

“You are very young, Miss Esther.  But since I must speak more plainly, I was referring to that mad escapade of a week ago.  Don’t misunderstand me, the blame undoubtedly rests upon the man who was thoughtless enough, selfish enough, to put you in such a position.”

“Whatever do you mean?” Esther was torn between anger and a desire to laugh.  But seeing the earnestness in his face, anger predominated.  “Can you possibly be referring to the breakdown of Dr. Callandar’s motor?” she asked coldly.

“I refer to the whole unfortunate adventure.  If your step-mother had been at home I feel sure it would not have happened.  She would never have permitted the excursion to take place.”

The girl’s dark brows drew together in their own peculiar manner.

“Let us be honest,” she suggested.  “You know quite well that my step-mother would not have bothered about it in the least.”

“I feel it my duty,” went on the minister, “to tell you that there were some peculiar features in connection with the disablement of the motor.  I understand from the mechanician who accompanied Dr. Callandar to the spot for the recovery of the machine that there was really very little the matter.  A short ten minutes completed the necessary repairs.”

“Ten minutes?  Oh, how silly he must have felt—­the doctor I mean.  After all the hours he spent and the things he said.”  She laughed with reminiscent amusement.  “He threw the monkey wrench at it, too.  And he thought he knew so much about motors!”

Her companion observed her with sombre eyes.  Was it possible that she had actually missed the point of his remark?

“Can you understand,” he said slowly, “how a man used to driving a motor car can have been entirely baffled by so slight an accident?  To me it seems—­odd!”

“So Dr. Callandar thought, only he expressed it more forcibly.”

“And you?”

“Well, I suppose I was heartless.  But it was the funniest thing I ever saw!” Esther’s laughter bubbled again.

They were now at the manse gate.  He saw that he must hasten.

“My dear Miss Esther, let us be serious.  I do not like to disturb your mind but I have a duty in this matter.  Has it never occurred to you that this so-called accident may not have been so—­so—­er—­entirely—­er—­irremediable, so to speak, as it was made to appear?”