"Well done, Rachel! It proves what Alick always said, that her great

characteristic is candour!"

"I hope she was not knocked up by the long night journey all at one

stretch. Mrs. Curtis was very uneasy about it, but nothing would move

her; she owned that Alick did not expect her, for she had taken care he

should not object, by saying nothing of her intention, but she was sure

he would be ill on Wednesday morning, and then Mrs. Curtis not only gave

in directly, but all we married women turned upon poor Grace for

hinting that Alick might prefer a day's solitary illness to her being

over-tired."

"She was extremely welcome! Alick was quite done for by all he had gone

through; he was miserably ill, and I hardly knew what to do with him,

and he mended from the moment his face lightened up at the sight of

her."

"There's the use of strength of mind! How is Alick?"

"Getting better under M'Vicar and Edinburgh winds. It was hard on him to

have borne the brunt of all the nursing that terrible last week, and in

fact I never knew how much he was going through rather than summon me.

His sauntering manner always conceals how much he is doing, and poor

Keith was so fond of him, and liked his care so much that almost the

whole fell upon him at last. And I believe he said more that was good

for Keith, and brought in Mr. Clare more than perhaps I should ever have

been able to do. So though I must regret having been away, it may have

been the best thing."

"And it was by your brother's earnest wish," said Ermine; "it was not as

if you had stayed away for your own pleasure."

"No! Poor Keith repeatedly said he could not die in peace till he had

secured our having the sole charge of his son. It was a strong instinct

that conquered inveterate prejudice! Did I tell you about the will?"

"You said I should hear particulars when you came."

"The personal guardianship is left to us first, then to Alick and

Rachel, with £300 a year for the expenses. Then we have Auchinvar. The

estate is charged with an equivalent settlement upon Mary, a better

plan, which I durst not propose, but with so long a minority the

estate will bear it. Alick has his sister's fortune back again, and

the Menteith children a few hundreds; but Menteith is rabid about the

guardianship, and would hardly speak to Alick."

"And you?"

"They always keep the peace with me. Isabel even made us a wedding

present--a pair of miniatures of my father and mother, that I am very

glad to rescue, though, as she politely told me, I was welcome to them,

for they were hideously dressed, and she wanted the frames for two sweet

photographs of Garibaldi and the Queen of Naples."




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