on, smoking at the rail, ran his eyes along the waiting queue of expectant people at the landing-stage without the remotest expectation of seeing anybody belong

on his shoulders, and he had a ruddy, sun-burned face, a pair of light blue eyes, a shifty mouth, and h

married life. Only she did know that she had been often impressed

which won people and made them, even against their better judgment, forgive him. This is a dangerous possession for a man who is not endowed with a very h

w pleasant days before his liberty should be curtailed at Achree. His sister's presence would make these days difficult, if not impossible. Then the wild thought flashed t

ly had he arrived in Scotland to find himself Laird of Achree, instead of merely heir to it, it would have made a material difference to his im

her in a way, and admired her greatly. He even wondered what all the men were thinking of that she remained unmarried at twenty-five. When he got nearer

to see you or any of our ilk here," he exclaimed in greeti

ecause there are heaps of things to explain; and besides, I felt

hly disapproved of him and all his works, and it was, he felt, positively cruel of Isla to have lai

e that she remembered so well. "I won't go to Belgrave Square--so there!" he added positively. "T

ey don't seem a bit curious. Aunt Jean was the only one who remarked about your getting leave so soon again. You can ple

won't ask awkward questions," he said wit

If they hadn't had a fitting for a Court frock they would have insisted o

my stuff. I haven't much. I sold out all I could before I left. There are always hard-u

ne of the porters to collect, she wondered how he dared to be so regardless as he was. A grown man with a man's strength and ability of a kind--yet nothing but a burden and a care to other folks, to frail folks like an old man and a young

latest disgrace. A certain dogged dournes

train leaving, so they paced the platform from end to end, talking together in l

intend to stop in

et you. I thought we mi

ke," he said, but s

very good about my coming, and Kitty Drummond was

u say! Who's t

into residence yesterday, I believe, or at least partly. They a

wooden pavement and stare

y! In Heaven's name what f

u are the last person who ought to ask w

ttered, "whatever d

ot even sure if he grasped the fact. But at

rse place! Do you mean to say tha

there," she ans

y good cheek. The decent thing would have been to wait till I cam

now was that if you came home the bargain

was it for

roud head to him, and

ally wonder what

ks, and I can't get away from t

o lay bye the other two to help to pay off those terrible obligations you spo

ghed a

uncomfortable economies could do any good! Have you reckoned out that it will take ten

d voice. "Let us get in. I don't want to talk any more to you, Malco

't to blame for getting chucked. Any fool in the Thirty-fifth will tell you that. But this little attempt to pull the financia

gave him your l

olly glad to see you, old girl. And now I'll relieve you of all these beastly sordid cares. But Creagh, good Lord!--and not a bit of horse-flesh on the

ste into the nearest compartment, which quickly filled up so that no further

his face. That study filled her with a great and growing sadness. He was just over thirty, and in all these years there were few well-spent d

hero's death upon the field. She told herself that had such a fate been Malcolm's she could have thanked God for it. Then she drew hersel

er heart was very tired and

of them. He was on his mettle, and he exerted himself to please, showing a nice deference to his

to think, but just to sit still and let Malcolm's false light shine. Soon enough they would

girl was brushing her hair, and, touched by th

you feel very well? You haven't

" Isla answered, but she d

ll, the Army is the place for boys like Malcolm. Do you remember what an anxiet

mply could not. She felt as

should simply love to have you and Malcolm for another week. I could get up a little dance for Malcolm. That sort of impromp

is really quite frail, and I should not have an easy

. How long has

t, too, Aunt Jean,"

, it does seem a little hard. Why did you do it, Isla, when you knew he was

no money to go on with,

rescue. What are folk for if they can't be made use of

Everybody does it, and as for Malcolm, he i

man who heard it. She stepped forward and lifted the

come home roll it off on to his broad shoulders. It is what broad shoulders are given to our menfolk for. And, above all,

imagine I like it, Aunt Jean. The thing that I most want in this world is peace

ed her fondly, yet

ose her mother, though in Isla's case, of course, it would have been worse if her mother had been spared. Don't yo

auty that a man doesn't tire of, and she's clever too. Depend on it, if Isla's hard she has had something to make her

t marched with the times. I should like them to stop for a week o

self, but I haven't got at the bottom of the meaning of this leave of his yet

o Malcolm, and she fell asleep, thinking how blessed she would have been among women had he been hers. A

other side of Bayswater for the purpose of calling on an old servant at Achree, who ha

d that walk. The wide spaces of the Park, the enchanting glimpses through the trees which, though still b

alls and routs, and all the treadmill of fashionable society. They were so excited over their Court frocks

e herself did not know what possibilities for frivolity and fun her nature held, nor ho

could not altogether banish it. But it helped, and her face looked very sweet under the b

Edgeware Road to Cromar Street, where Mrs. Fraser lived. It was not her first visit

o put about wi' joy all this morning that I have not been abl

and and passed across her hospitable threshold. "You look wonderfully well. I hope

so sweetly kind and interested in everything concerning them. Yet she held their respect, and no servant,

ing, being let, with bedroom accommodation, to two permanencies who paid her well. And there Isla listened to the whole recital of the good wo

the glen this summer, Agnes, you will have a longer walk to get to us. We ha

ment and only remarked that she hoped they had made Crea

visitor she wept tears of sorrow beca

len. She had neither part nor lot in cities, and she could not understand the craze that people had for th

for any of those who passed her. But presently she came to the corner house of a little street near the Marble Arch end o

ly bound, and she sped on

n Isla carried away--a large, tall person, with an abundance of yellow hair and an enormous black hat perched upon it.

r judgment, which might have urged some quite simple explanation, she jumped to the c