"I never thought for one moment of marrying him," said Bessie,

haughtily. "If I ever had any sort of mercy on him, it was all to tease

you. There, are you satisfied?"

"I must be, I suppose," he replied, and he sighed heavily. "When was

this settled?"

"Yesterday, walking up and down the esplanade. He will tell his brother

to-day, and I shall write to Lady Temple. Oh, Alick, he is so kind, he

spoke so highly of you."

"I must say," returned Alick, in the same grave tone, "that if you

wished for the care of an old man, I should have thought my uncle the

more agreeable of the two."

"He is little past fifty. You are very hard on him."

"On the contrary, I am sorry for him. You will always find it good for

him to do whatever suits yourself."

"Alick?" said his sister mournfully, "you have never forgotten or

forgiven my girlish bits of neglect after your wound."

"No, Bessie," he said, holding her hand kindly, "it is not the neglect

or the girlishness, but the excuses to me, still more to my uncle, and

most of all to yourself. They are what make me afraid for you in what

you are going to take upon yourself."

She did not answer immediately, and he pursued--"Are you driven to this

by dislike to living at Bishopsworthy? If so, do not be afraid to tell

me. I will make any arrangement, if you would prefer living with Jane.

We agreed once that it would be too expensive, but now I could let you

have another hundred a year."

"As if I would allow that, Alick! No, indeed! Lord Keith means you to

have all my share."

"Does he? There are more words than one to that question. And pray is he

going to provide properly for his poor daughter in the West Indies?"

"I hope to induce him to take her into favour."

"Eh? and to make him give up to Colin Keith that Auchinvar estate that

he ought to have had when Archie Keith died?"

"You may be sure I shall do my best for the Colonel. Indeed, I do think

Lord Keith will consent to the marriage now."

"You have sacrificed yourself on that account?" he said, with irony in

his tone, that he could have repented the next moment, so good-humoured

was her reply, "That is understood, so give me the merit."

"The merit of, for his sake, becoming a grandmother. You have thought of

the daughters? Mrs. Comyn Menteith must be older than yourself."

"Three years," said Bessie, in his own tone of acceptance of startling

facts, "and I shall have seven grandchildren in all, so you see you must

respect me."

"Do you know her sentiments?"




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