Colin restrained himself with difficulty, but made quiet answer. "I had

rather see it settled as a provision on Mary and her children."

Lord Keith growled something about minding his own concerns.

"That is all I desire," responded the Colonel, and therewith the

conference ended. Nor was the subject recurred to. It was observable,

however, that Lord Keith was polite and even attentive to Ermine. He

called on her, sent her grouse, and though saying nothing, seemed to

wish to make it evident that his opposition was withdrawn, perhaps as no

longer considering his brother's affairs as his own, or else wishing to

conciliate him. Lady Temple was not molested by any alarming attentions

from him. But for the proclamation, the state of siege might have been

unsuspected. He settled himself at the southern Gowanbrae as if he had

no conquest to achieve but that of the rheumatism, and fell rapidly into

sea-side habits--his morning stroll to see the fishing-boats come in,

his afternoon ride, and evening's dinner party, or whist-club, which

latter institution disposed of him, greatly to Colin's relief. The

brothers lived together very amicably, and the younger often made

himself helpful and useful to the elder, but evidently did not feel

bound to be exclusively devoted to his service and companionship. All

the winter residents and most of the neighbouring gentry quickly called

at Gowanbrae, and Lord Keith, in the leisure of his present life, liked

society where he was the man of most consequence, and readily accepted

and gave invitations. Colin, whose chest would not permit him to venture

out after sunset, was a most courteous assistant host, but necessarily

made fewer acquaintances, and often went his own way, sometimes riding

with his brother, but more frequently scarcely seeing him between

breakfast and twilight, and then often spending a solitary evening,

which he much preferred either to ecarte or to making talk.

The summer life had been very different from the winter one. There was

much less intercourse with the Homestead, partly from Rachel being much

engrossed with the F. U. E. E., driving over whenever the coachman would

let her, to inspect progress, and spending much of her time in sending

out circulars, answering letters, and writing a tale on the distresses

of Woman, and how to help them, entitled "Am I not a Sister?" Tales were

not much in Bachel's line; she despised reading them, and did not love

writing them, but she knew that she must sugar the cup for the world,

and so she diligently applied herself to the piece de resistance for the

destined magazine, heavily weighting her slender thread of story with

disquisitions on economy and charity, and meaning to land her heroines

upon various industrial asylums where their lot should be far more

beatific than marriage, which was reserved for the naughty one to live

unhappy in ever after. In fact, Rachel, in her stern consistency, had

made up her mind to avoid and discourage the Colonel, and to prevent

her own heart from relenting in his favour, or him from having any

opportunity of asking an explanation, and with this determination she

absented herself both from Ermine's parlour and Lady Temple's croquet

ground; and if they met on the esplanade or in a morning call, took

care never to give the chance of a tete-a-tete, which he was evidently

seeking.




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