"Going to take him to Sir George and Lady Bennington's city residence
for the Easter Vac?" sneered Shorty.

The answer came again quietly, "Yes, I am"; then, after a brief
interval, "if he will pay me the compliment of coming."

Shorty subsided; he had not expected this, and, truth to tell, he felt
at that moment that his sneers had accomplished precisely the opposite
effect to what he had intended; but Hal made no comment until just
before they got into their beds; then he said evenly:

"Shorty, you and I are room-mates, we have been pals for over a year;
we won't discuss Shag Larocque, for I see that we shall never agree
about him."

"I hate a mongrel," sniffed Shorty; "this fellow is neither Indian nor
white."

"He's more Indian than white, and better for it, too," said Hal; "but,
I say, Shorty--what nationality was your father?"

"Irish," said Shorty, with some pride.

"And your mother?" persisted Hal relentlessly.

"Oh, mother's parents were English; she was born here in Canada,"
replied Shorty a little weakly.

"Oh!" was all Hal said, but it held a world of meaning.