"Tell her so," said the brother, with his odd, suppressed smile.

"What, she does not think so?"

"Now," said Mr. Keith, leaning back, "on my answer depends whether

Bessie enters this place with a character for chanting, croquet, or

crochet. Which should you like worst, Miss Curtis?"

"I like evasions worst of all," said Rachel, with a flash of something

like playful spirit, though there was too much asperity in it.

"But you see, unfortunately, I don't know," said Alick Keith, slowly. "I

have never been able to find out, nor she either. I don't know what may

be the effect of example," he added. Ermine wondered whether he were in

mischief or earnest, and suspected a little of both.

"I shall be very happy to show Miss Keith any of my ways," said Rachel,

with no doubts at all; "but she will find me terribly impeded here. When

does she come?"

"Not for a month or six weeks, when the wedding will be over. It is high

time she saw something of her respected guardian."

"The Colonel?"

"Yes," then to Ermine, "Every one turns to him with reliance and

confidence. I believe no one in the army received so many last charges

as he has done, or executes them more fully."

"And," said Ermine, feeling pleasure colour her cheek more deeply than

was convenient, "you are relations."

"So far away that only a Scotsman would acknowledge the cousinship."

"But do not you call yourself Scotch?" said Ermine, who had for years

thought it glorious to do so.

"My great grandfather came from Gowan-brae," said Alick, "but our branch

of the family has lived and died in the --th Highlanders for so

many generations that we don't know what a home is out of it. Our

birthplaces--yes, and our graves--are in all parts of the world."

"Were you ever in Scotland?"

"Never; and I dread nothing so much as being quartered there. Just

imagine the trouble it would be to go over the pedigree of every Keith I

met, and to dine with them all upon haggis and sheeps' head!"

"There's no place I want to sea as much as Scotland," said Rachel.

"Oh, yes! young ladies always do."

"It is not for a young lady reason," said Rachel, bluntly. "I want to

understand the principle of diffused education, as there practised. The

only other places I should really care to see are the Grand Reformatory

for the Destitute in Holland, and the Hospital for Cretins in

Switzerland."

"Scotch pedants, Dutch thieves, Swiss goitres--I will bear your tastes

in mind," said Mr. Keith, rising to take leave.

"Really," said Rachel, when he was gone, "if he had not that silly

military tone of joking, there might be something tolerable about him

if he got into good hands. He seems to have some good notions about his

sister. She must be just out of the school-room, at the very turn of

life, and I will try to get her into my training and show her a little

of the real beauty and usefulness of the career she has before her. How

late he has stayed! I am afraid there is no time for the manuscripts."




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