第6章

Shereceivedhimwithanaffectationofpatronage，asifshehadlatelybecomeuneasilyconsciousofbeinginacountrywherethereweredistinctionsofclass。Shewasyoung，pretty，andtastefullydressed；thenationalfeminineadaptabilityhadnot，however，extendedtohervoiceandaccent。BothwerestronglySouthwestern，andasshebegantospeaksheseemedtolosehermomentaryaffectation。

"Itwasmightygoodofyoutocomeandseeme，forthefactis，I

didn\'tadmiregoingtoyourconsulate——notonebit。Yousee，I\'maSoutherngirl，andneverwas\'reconstructed\'either。Idon\'thankerafteryourGov\'ment。Ihaven\'trecognizedit，anddon\'twantto。IreckonIain\'tbeenundertheflagsincethewah。Soyousee，Ihaven\'tanypaperstogetauthenticated，noranycertificatestoaskfor，andain\'twantinganyadviceorprotection。IthoughtI\'dbefairandsquarewithyoufromtheword\'go。\'"

Nothingcouldbemorefascinatingandinfectiousthanthemirthfulingenuousnesswhichaccompaniedandseemedtomitigatethisungraciousspeech，andtheconsulwasgreatlyamused，albeitconsciousthatitwasonlyanattitude，andperhapssomewhatworninsentiment。Heknewthatduringthewaroftherebellion，anddirectlyafterit，GreatBritainwastheresortofcertainAmericansfromtheWestaswellasfromtheSouthwhosoughtsocialdistinctionbytheaffectationofdissatisfactionwiththeirowngovernmentortheostentatioussimulationofenforcedexile；buthewasquiteunpreparedforthissenselessprotractionofdeadandgoneissues。Heventuredtopointoutwithgood-humoredpracticalitythatseveralyearshadelapsedsincethewar，thattheSouthandNorthwerehonorablyreconciled，andthathewaslegallysupposedtorepresentKentuckyaswellasNewYork。"Yourfriends，"headdedsmilingly，"Mr。CusterandMr。McHulish，seemedtoacceptthefactwithoutanyposthumoussentiment。”

"Idon\'tgomuchonthat，"shesaidwithalaugh。"I\'vebeenlivinginParistillmaw——who\'slyingdownupstairs——cameoverandbroughtmeacrosstoEnglandforalookaround。AndIreckonMalcolm\'sgottokeeptouchwithyouonaccountofhisproperty。”

Theconsulsmiled。"Ah，then，IhopeyoucantellmesomethingaboutTHAT，forIreallydon\'tknowwhetherhehasestablishedhisclaimornot。”

"Why，"returnedthegirlwithnaiveastonishment，"thatwasjustwhatIwasgoingtoaskYOU。Hereckonedyou\'dknowallaboutit。”

"Ihaven\'theardanythingoftheclaimfortwomonths，"saidtheconsul；"butfromyourreferencetohimas\'SirMalcolm，\'I

presumedyouconsidereditsettled。Though，ofcourse，eventhenhewouldn\'tbe\'SirMalcolm，\'andyoumighthavemeantsomebodyelse。”

"Well，then，LordMalcolm——Ican\'tgetthehangofthosetitlesyet。”

"Neither\'Lord\'nor\'Sir\'；youknowtheestatecarriesnotitlewhateverwithit，"saidtheconsulsmilingly。

"Butwouldn\'thebethelairdofsomethingorother，youknow？"

"Yes；butthatisonlyaScotchdescription，notatitle。It\'snotthesameasLord。”

Theyounggirllookedathimwithundisguisedastonishment。Ahalflaughtwitchedthecornersofhermouth。"Areyousure？"shesaid。

"Perfectly，"returnedtheconsul，alittleimpatiently；"butdoI

understandthatyoureallyknownothingmoreoftheprogressoftheclaim？"

MissKirkby，stillabstractedbysomehumorousastonishment，saidquickly:"Waitaminute。I\'lljustrunupandseeifmaw\'scomingdown。She\'dadmiretoseeyou。”Thenshestopped，hesitated，andassheroseadded，"Thenalaird\'swifewouldn\'tbeLadyanything，anyway，wouldshe？"

"Shecertainlywouldacquirenotitlemerelythroughhermarriage。”

Theyounggirllaughedagain，nodded，anddisappeared。Theconsul，amusedyetsomewhatperplexedoverthenaivebrusquenessoftheinterview，waitedpatiently。Presentlyshereturned，alittleoutofbreath，butapparentlystillenjoyingsomefacetiousretrospect，andsaid，"Mawwillbedownsoon。”Afterapause，fixingherbrighteyesmischievouslyontheconsul，shecontinued:——

"DidyouseemuchofMalcolm？"

"Isawhimonlyonce。”

"Whatdidyouthinkofhim？"

Theconsulinsobriefaperiodhadbeenunabletojudge。

"Youwouldn\'tthinkIwashalfengagedtohim，wouldyou？"

TheconsulwasobligedagaintoprotestthatinsoshortaninterviewhehadbeenunabletoconceiveofMalcolm\'sgoodfortune。

"Iknowwhatyoumean，"saidthegirllightly。"Youthinkhe\'sacrank。Butit\'sallovernow；theengagement\'soff。”

"Itrustthatthisdoesnotmeanthatyoudoubthissuccess？"

Theladyshruggedhershouldersdisdainfully。"That\'sallrightenough，Ireckon。There\'sahundredthousanddollarsinthesyndicate。Mawputintwentythousand，andCuster\'sboundtomakeitgo——particularlyasthere\'ssometalkofacompromise。ButMalcolm\'sacrank，andIreckonifitwasn\'tforthecompromisethesyndicatewouldn\'thavemuchshow。Why，hedidn\'tevenknowthattheMcHulisheshadnotitle。”

"Doyouthinkhehasbeensufferingunderadelusioninregardtohisrelationship？"

"No；hewasonlyafoolinthewayhewantedtoproveit。Heactuallygottheseboystothinkitcouldbefilibusteredintohispossession。Hadasortofideaof\'arisingintheHighlands，\'youknow，likethatpoemorpicture——whichisit？Andthosefoolboys，andCusteramongthem，thoughtitwouldbegreatfunandagreatspree。Luckily，mawhadthegumptiontogetWatsontowriteoveraboutittooneofhisfriends，aMr——Mr——MacFen，averyprominentman。”

"PerhapsyoumeanSirJamesMacFen，"suggestedtheconsul。"He\'saknight。AndwhatdidHEsay？"headdedeagerly。

"Oh，hewroteamostsensibleletter，"returnedthelady，apparentlymollifiedbythetitleofWatson\'sadviser，"sayingthattherewaslittledoubt，ifany，thatiftheAmericanMcHulisheswantedtheoldestatetheycouldgetitbytheexpenditureofalittlecapital。Heofferedtomakethetrial；thatwasthecompromisethey\'retalkingabout。Buthedidn\'tsayanythingabouttherebeingno\'Lord\'

McHulish。”

"Perhapshethought，asyouwereAmericans，youdidn\'tcareforTHAT，"saidtheconsuldryly。

"That\'snoreasonwhyweshouldn\'thaveitifitbelongedtous，orwechosetopayforit，"saidtheladypertly。

"ThenyourchangedpersonalrelationswithMr。McHulishisthereasonwhyyouhearsolittleofhisprogressorhisexpectations？"

"Yes；buthedon\'tknowthattheyarechanged，forwehaven\'tseenhimsincewe\'vebeenhere，althoughtheysayhe\'shere，andhidingsomewhereabout。”

"Whyshouldhebehiding？"

Theyounggirlliftedherprettybrows。"Maybehethinksit\'smysterious。Didn\'tItellyouhewasacrank？"Yetshelaughedsonaively，andwithsuchsublimeunconsciousnessofanyreflectiononherself，thattheconsulwasobligedtosmiletoo。

"Youcertainlydonotseemtobebreakingyourheartaswellasyourengagement，"hesaid。

"Notmuch——butherecomesmaw。Lookhere，"shesaid，turningsuddenlyandcoaxinglyuponhim，"ifsheasksyoutocomealongwithusupnorth，you\'llcome，won\'tyou？Do!Itwillbesuchfun!"

"Upnorth？"repeatedtheconsulinterrogatively。

"Yes；toseetheproperty。Here\'smaw。”

Amorelanguidbutequallywell-appointedwomanhadenteredtheroom。Whentheceremonyofintroductionwasover，sheturnedtoherdaughterandsaid，"Runaway，dear，whileItalkbusinesswith——

er——thisgentleman，"and，asthegirlwithdrewlaughingly，shehalfstifledareminiscentyawn，andraisedherheavylidstotheconsul。

"You\'vehadatalkwithmyElsie？"

Theconsulconfessedtohavinghadthatpleasure。

"Shespeakshermind，"saidMrs。Kirkbywearily，"butshemeanswell，andforallherflightinessherhead\'slevel。Andsinceherfatherdiedsherunsme，"shecontinuedwithaslightlaugh。Afterapause，sheaddedabstractedly，"IsupposeshetoldyouofherengagementtoyoungMcHulish？"

"Yes；butshesaidshehadbrokenit。”

Mrs。Kirkbyliftedhereyebrowswithanexpressionofrelief。"Itwasapieceofgirlandboyfoolishness，anyway，"shesaid。"ElsieandhewerechildrentogetheratMacCorkleville，——secondcousins，infact，——andIreckonhegotherfancyexcitedoverhisnobility，andhisbeingthechiefoftheMcHulishes。OfcourseCusterwillmanagetogetsomethingfortheshareholdersoutofit，——Ineverknewhimtofailinamoneyspeculationyet，——butIthinkthat\'saboutall。IhadanideaofgoingupwithElsietotakealookattheproperty，andIthoughtofaskingyoutojoinus。DidElsietellyou？Iknowshe\'dlikeit——andsowouldI。”

Forallherindolent，purposelessmanner，therewasenoughlatentsincerityandearnestnessinherrequesttointeresttheconsul。

Besides，hisowncuriosityinregardtothissingularlysupportedclaimwasexcited，andhereseemedtobeanopportunityofsatisfyingit。Hewasnotquitesure，either，thathispreviousantagonismtohisfaircountrywoman\'sapparentselfishnessandsnobberywasentirelyjust。HehadbeenabsentfromAmericaalongtime；perhapsitwashehimselfwhohadchanged，andlosttouchwithhiscompatriots。AndyetthedemonstrativeindependenceandrecklessnessofmenlikeCusterwerelessobjectionableto，andlessinconsistentwith，hisAmericanideasthanthesnobbishnessandalmostservileadaptabilityofthewomen。Orwasitpossiblethatitwasonlyaweaknessofthesex，whichnorepublicannativityoreducationcouldeliminate？Neverthelesshelookedupsmilingly。

"Butthepropertyis，Iunderstand，scatteredaboutinvariousplaces，"hesaid。

"Oh，butwemeantogoonlytoKelpieIsland，wherethereistheruinofanoldcastle。Elsiemustseethat。”

Theconsulthoughtitmightbeamusing。"Byallmeansletusseethat。Ishallbedelightedtogowithyou。”

Hisreadyandunqualifiedassentappearedtorelieveanddissipatethelady\'sabstraction。Shebecamemorenaturalandconfiding；

spokefreelyofMalcolm\'smania，whichsheseemedtoacceptasahallucinationoraconvictionwithequalcheerfulness，and，inbrief，convincedtheconsulthatherconnectionwiththeschemewasonlythecapriceofinexperiencedandunaccustomedidleness。Helefther，promisingtoreturnthenextdayandarrangefortheirearlydeparture。

HiswayhomelaythroughoneofthepublicsquaresofSt。

Kentigern，atanhouroftheafternoonwhenitwascrossedbyworkingmenandwomenreturningtotheirquartersfromthedocksandfactories。Neverinanylightapicturesqueorevencheeryprocession，thereweredayswhenitsunwholesome，monotonouspovertyanddullhopelessnessofprospectimpressedhimmoreforcibly。HerememberedhowatfirstthespectacleofbarefootedgirlsandwomenslippingthroughfogandmistacrossthegreasypavementhadoffendedhisfreshNewWorldconceptionofamoretenderlynurturedsex，untilhissusceptibilitiesseemedtohavegrownascallousandhardenedasthefleshhelookedupon，andhehadbeguntoregardthemfromtheeasylocalstandpointofadistinctanddifferentlyequippedclass。

Itchanced，also，thatthisafternoonsomeofthemaleworkershadaddedtotheirusualsolidityasingulartrance-likeintoxication。

IthadoftenstruckhimbeforeasaformofdrunkennesspeculiartotheSt。Kentigernlaborers。Menpassedhimsinglyandsilently，asiffollowingsomevaguealcoholicdream，ormovingthroughsomeScotchmistofwhiskeyandwater。Othersclungunsteadilybutassilentlytogether，withnotraceofconvivialfellowshiporhilarityintheirdullfixedfeaturesandmechanicallymovinglimbs。Therewassomethingweirdinthismirthlesscompanionship，andtheappallinglonelinessofthosefixedorabstractedeyes。

Suddenlyhewasawareoftwomenwhowerereelingtowardhimundertheinfluenceofthisdrug-likeintoxication，andhewasstartledbyalikenesswhichoneofthemboretosomeonehehadseen；butwhere，andunderwhatcircumstances，hecouldnotdetermine。Thefatuouseye，thefeaturesofcomplacentvanityandself-satisfiedreveriewerethere，eitherintensifiedbydrink，orperhapssuggestingitthroughsomeotherequallyhopelessformofhallucination。Heturnedandfollowedtheman，tryingtoidentifyhimthroughhiscompanion，whoappearedtobeapettytradesmanofashrewder，morematerialtype。Butinvain，andasthepairturnedintoasidestreettheconsulslowlyretracedhissteps。

Buthehadnotproceededfarbeforetherecollectionthathadescapedhimreturned，andheknewthatthelikenesssuggestedbythefacehehadseenwasthatofMalcolmMcHulish。

III。

AjourneytoKelpieIslandconsistedofaseriesofconsecutiveepisodesbyrail，bycoach，andbysteamboat。Theconsulwasalreadyfamiliarwiththem，asindeedweremostofthecivilizedworld，foritseemedthatallroadsatcertainseasonsledoutofandreturnedtoSt。Kentigernasapointinavastcirclewhereintravelersweresuretomeetoneanotheragain，comingorgoing，atcertaindepotsandcaravansarieswithmoreorlesssuperiorityorenvy。TouristsontheroadtothehistoriccragsofWateffacamesharplyuponothertouristsreturningfromthem，andglaredsuspiciouslyatthem，asiftowrestthedreadsecretfromtheirsouls——ascrutinywhichtheothersreturnedwithhalf-humorouspityorsuperiorcalm。

Theconsulknew，also，thattheservicebyboatandrailwasadmirableandskillful；forwerenottherighteousSt。

KentigernersofthetribeofTubal-cain，greatartificersinsteelandiron，andamightyraceofengineersbeforetheLord，whohadcarriedtheircallingandaccentbeyondtheseas？Heknew，too，thatthelandofthesedelightfulcaravansariesoverflowedwithmarmaladeandhoney，andthatthemannaofdelicioussconesandcakesfellevenupondesertedwatersofcragandheather。Heknewthattheirwaywouldliethroughmuchscenerywhoserudebarrenness，andgrimeconomyofvegetation，hadbeenusuallyacceptedbycockneytouristsforsublimityandgrandeur；butheknew，also，thatitsseveritywasmitigatedbylowlandglimpsesofsylvanluxurianceandtangleddelicacyutterlyunlikethecomplacentsnugnessofanEnglishpastorallandscape，withwhichitwasoftenconfoundedandmisunderstood，asbeingtameandcivilized。

ItrainedthedaytheyleftSt。Kentigern，andthenext，andthedayafterthat，spasmodically，asregardedlocaleffort，sporadically，asseenthroughthefilmedwindowsofrailwaycarriagesorfromtheshiningdecksofsteamboats。Therewasalwaysashowerbeingsownsomewherealongthevalley，orreluctantlytearingitselffromamountain-top，orbeingpulledintolongthreadsfromtheleadenbosomofalake；thecoachsweptinandoutofthemtothefoldingandunfoldingofumbrellasandmackintoshes，accompaniedbyflyingbeamsofsunlightthatracedwiththevehicleonlonghillsides，andvanishedattheturnoftheroad。Therewerehat-liftingscurriesofwinddownthemountain-

side，smalltumultsinlittlelakesbelow，hystericebullitionsonmild，melancholyinlandseas，boisterouspassagesofnearlyhalfanhourwithlandingsontempestuousminiaturequays。Allthisseenthroughwonderfulaqueousvapor，againstabackgroundofskydarkenedattimestothedepthsofanIndiainkwashedsketch，butmoreusuallyblurredandconfusedonthesurfacelikethegraysilhouetteofachild\'sslate-pencildrawing，halfrubbedfromtheslatebysoftpalms。Occasionallyarareglintingofrealsunshineonadistantfringeofdrippinglarchesmadesomefrowningcrestappeartosmileasthroughwetlashes。

MissElsietuckedherlittlefeetunderthemackintosh。"Iknow，"

shesaidsadly，"Ishouldgetweb-footedifIstayedherelong，Why，it\'slikecomingdownfromAraratjustafterthedelugeclearedup。”

Mrs。Kirkbysuggestedthatifthesunwouldonlyshinesquarelyanddecently，likeaChristian，forafewmoments，theycouldseetheprospectbetter。

TheconsulherepointedoutthattheadmirersofScotchscenerythoughtthatthiswasitsgreatestcharm。Itwasthismistyeffectwhichmadeitsosuperiortowhattheycalledthevulgarchromosandsun-picturesoflessfavoredlands。

"Youmeanbecauseitpreventsfolksfromseeinghowpoortheviewreallyis。”

Theconsulremarkedthatperhapsdistancewaslacking。AstothesunshininginaChristianway，thismightdependuponthelocalideaofChristianity。

"Well，Idon\'tcallthescenerygiddyorfrivolous，certainly。AndIreckonIbegintounderstandthekindofsermonsMalcolm\'sfolksbroughtovertoMacCorkleville。Iguesstheydidn\'tknowmuchoftheheaventheyonlysawonceayear。Why，eventhehighesthills——

whichtheycallmountainshere——ain\'tbigenoughtogetabovethefogsoftheirowncreating。”

Femininewitisnotapttobeabstract。ItstrucktheconsulthatinMissElsie\'ssprightlinesstherewastheusualulteriorandpersonalobject，andheglancedaroundathisfellow-passengers。

Theobjectevidentlywassittingattheendoftheoppositeseat，anamusedbutwell-behavedlistener。Fortherest，hewasstillyoungandreserved，butinface，figure，anddressutterlyunlikehiscompanions，——anEnglishmanofapronouncedanddistincttype，themanofsocietyandclubs。Whiletherewasmoreorlesshintingoflocalinfluenceintheappareloftheothers，——therewasakilt，andbare，unweather-beatenkneesfromBirmingham，andeventheAmericanElsieworeabewitchingtam-o\'-shanter，——thestrangercarriedeasydistinction，fromhistweedtraveling-captohiswell-

madeshoesandgaiters，asanunmistakableSoutherner。Hisdeepandpleasantlylevelvoicehadbeenheardonlyonceortwice，andthenonlyinansweringquestions，andhisquiet，composedeyesalonehadrespondedtotheyounggirl\'sprovocation。

Theywerepassingabrownglen，inthecheerlessdepthsofwhichabrownwatercourse，ashadelighter，wasrunning，andoccasionallyfoaminglikebrownbeer。Beyonditheavedanaridbulkofhillside，thescantvegetationofwhich，scatteredlikepatchesofhair，madeitlooklikethedecayinghideofsomehugeantediluvianruminant。Onthedreariestpartofthedrearysloperosetheruinsofatower，andcrumblingwallsandbattlements。

"Whateverpossessedfolkstobuildthere？"saidMissElsie。"Iftheywerepoor，itmightbesomeexcuse；butthatthoseoldswells，orchiefs，shouldputupacastleinsuchaGod-forsakenplacegetsME。”

"Butdon\'tyouknow，theyWEREpoor，accordingtoourmodernideas，andIfancytheybuiltthesethingsmorefordefensethanshow，andreallymoretogatherincattle——likeoneofyourTexanranches——

afteraraid。Thatis，Ihaveheardso；Iratherfancythatwastheidea，wasn\'tit？"ItwastheEnglishmanwhohadspoken，andwasnowlookingaroundattheotherpassengersasifineasydeferencetolocalopinion。

"Whatraid？"saidMissElsie，animatedly。"Oh，yes；Isee——oneoftheiroldborderraids——moss-troopers。Iusedtoliketoreadaboutthem。”

"Ifancy，don\'tyouknow，"saidtheEnglishmanslowly，"thatitwasn\'texactlyTHATsortofthing，youknow，forit\'sagoodwayfromtheborder；butitwasoneoftheirraidsupontheirneighbors，tolifttheircattle——steal\'em，infact。That\'sthewaythosechapshad。Butofcourseyou\'vereadallaboutthat。

YouAmericans，don\'tyouknow，areallupinthesehistoricalmatters。”

"Eh，buttheywereoftenreprisals，"saidaScotchpassenger。

"Idon\'tsupposetheytookmuchtroubletoinquireifthebeastsbelongedtoanenemy，"saidtheEnglishman。

ButhereMissElsiespokeofcastlesgenerally，andaverredthatthedearestwishofherlifewastoseeMacbeth\'scastleatGlamis，whereDuncanwasmurdered。AtwhichtheEnglishman，stilldeferentially，mistrustedthefactthatthemurderhadbeencommittedthere，andthoughtthatthecastletowhichShakespeareprobablyreferred，ifhehadn\'tinventedthemurder，too，wasfarthernorth，atCawdor。"Youknow，"headdedplayfully，"overthereinAmericayou\'vediscoveredthatShakespearehimselfwasaninvention。”

Thisledtosomeretaliatingbrilliancyfromtheyounglady，andwhenthecoachstoppedatthenextstationtheirconversationhadpresumablybecomeinterestingenoughtojustifyhiminsecuringaseatnearertoher。Thetalkreturningtoruins，MissElsieinformedhimthattheyweregoingtoseesomeonKelpieIsland。

Theconsul，fromsomeinstinctiveimpulse，——perhapsarecollectionofCuster\'speculiarmethods，gaveherasignofwarning。ButtheEnglishmanonlyliftedhiseyebrowsinakindofhalf-humorousconcern。

"Idon\'tthinkyou\'dlikeit，youknow。It\'sabeastlyplace，——

rocksandsea，——worsethanthis，andhalfthetimeyoucan\'tseethemainland，onlyamileaway。Really，youknow，theyoughtn\'ttohaveinducedyoutotaketicketsthere——thoseexcursion-ticketchaps。They\'rejollyfrauds。It\'snoplaceforastrangertogoto。”

"Buttherearetheruinsofanoldcastle，theoldseatof"——

begantheastonishedMissElsie；butshewasagainstoppedbyasignificantglancefromtheconsul。

"Ibelievetherewassomethingofthekindthereonce——somethinglikeyourfriendsthecattle-stealers\'castleoveronthathillside，"returnedtheEnglishman；"butthestonesweretakenbythefishermenfortheircabins，andthewallswerequitepulleddown。”

"Howdaredtheydothat？"saidtheyoungladyindignantly。"Icallitnotonlysacrilege，butstealing。”

"Itwasdefraudingtheowneroftheproperty；theymightaswelltakehismoney，"saidMrs。Kirkby，inlanguidprotest。

ThesmilewhichthisoutburstofproprietorialindignationbroughttothefaceoftheconsullingeredwiththeEnglishman\'sreply。

"Butitwasonlyrobbingtheoldrobbers，don\'tyouknow，andtheyputtheirspoilstobetterusethantheiroldmastersdid；

certainlytomorepracticalusethantheownersdonow，fortheruinsaregoodfornothing。”

"Butthehallowedassociations——thepicturesqueness!"continuedMrs。Kirkby，withlanguidinterest。

"Theassociationswouldn\'tbeanythingexcepttothefamily，youknow；andIshouldfancytheywouldn\'tbeeitherhallowedorpleasant。Asforpicturesqueness，theruinsarebeastlyugly；

weather-beateninsteadofbeingmellowedbytime，youknow，andbarewheretheyoughttobehiddenbyvinesandmoss。Ican\'tmakeoutwhyanybodysentyouthere，foryouAmericansareratherparticularaboutyoursightseeing。”

"Weheardofthemthroughafriend，"saidtheconsul，withassumedcarelessness。"Perhapsit\'sasgoodanexcuseasanyforapleasantjourney。”

"Andverylikelyyourfriendmistookitforsomethingelse，orwashimselfimposedupon，"saidtheEnglishmanpolitely。"Butyoumightnotthinkitso，and，afterall，"headdedthoughtfully，"it\'syearssinceI\'veseenit。IonlymeantthatIcouldshowyousomethingbetterafewmilesfrommyplaceinGloucestershire，andnotquitesofarfromarailwayasthis。If，"headdedwithapleasantdeliberationwhichwastherealcourtesyofhisconventionallywordedspeech，"youeverhappenedatanytimetobeanywherenearAudreyEdge，andwouldlookmeup，Ishouldbegladtoshowittoyouandyourfriends。”Anhourlater，whenheleftthematarailwaystationwheretheirpathsdiverged，MissElsierecoveredafluencythatshehadlatelychecked。"Well，Ilikethat!Henevertoldushisname，orofferedacard。Iwonderiftheycallthataninvitationoverhere。Doeshesupposeanybody\'sgoingtolookuphisoldAudreyEdge——perhapsit\'snamedafterhiswife——tofindoutwhoHEis？Hemighthavebeencivilenoughtohavelefthisname，ifhe——meantanything。”

"ButIassureyouhewasperfectlysincere，andmeantaninvitation，"returnedtheconsulsmilingly。"AudreyEdgeisevidentlyawell-knownplace，andheamanofsomeposition。Thatiswhyhedidn\'tspecifyeither。”

"Well，youwon\'tcatchmegoingthere，"saidMissElsie。

"Youwouldbequiterightineithergoingorstayingaway，"saidtheconsulsimply。

MissElsietossedherheadslightly。Nevertheless，beforetheyleftthestation，sheinformedhimthatshehadbeentoldthatthestation-masterhadaddressedthestrangeras"mylord，"andthatanotherpassengerhadsaidhewas"LordDuncaster。”

"Andthatproves"——

"ThatI\'mright，"saidtheyoungladydecisively，"andthathisinvitationwasamereform。”

Itwasaftersundownwhentheyreachedthepicturesqueandwell-

appointedhotelthatlifteditselfabovethelittlefishing-villagewhichfrontedKelpieIsland。Thehotelwasinasstrongcontrasttothenarrow，curvingstreetofdull，comfortless-lookingstonecottagesbelowit，aswerethesmarttouristswhohadjustlandedfromthesteamertothehard-visaged，roughlycladvillagerswhowatchedthemwithacertainminglingofcriticalindependenceandsuperiorself-righteousness。Asthenewarrivalswalkeddownthemainstreet，halfbeach，halfthoroughfare，theirbaggagefollowingtheminlowtrolleysdrawnbyportersattheirheels，likeadecorousfuneral，thejoylessfacesofthelookers-onaddedtotheresemblance。Beyondthem，intheprolongednortherntwilight，thewatersofthebaytookonapeculiarpewterybrightness，butwiththeusualmourning-edgedborderofScotchseacoastscenery。Lowbanksofcloudlayonthechillsea；theoutlinesofKelpieIslandwerehidden。

Buttheinteriorofthehotel，brightwiththelatestfastidiousnessinmoderndecorationandart-furniture，andgaywithpicturedcanvasesandcolor，seemedtomockthesullenlandscape，andthesterilecragsamidwhichthebuildingwasset。Anattempttomakeapleasanceinthisbarrenwastehadresultedonlyinemptyvases，bleakstatuary，andironsettees，ascoldandslipperytothetouchasthesidesoftheirsteamer。

"It\'llbeafinemorningto-morra，andther\'llbeaboatgoingawaytoKelpieforapeekneekintheruins，"saidtheporter，astheconsulandhisfaircompanionslookeddoubtfullyfromthewindowsofthecheerfulhall。

ApicnicinthesacredruinsofKelpie!Theconsulsawtheladiesstiffeningwithindignationatthistrespassupontheirpossiblerightsandprobableprivileges，andglancedatthemwarningly。

"Doyoumeantosaythatitiscommonproperty，andANYBODYcangothere？"demandedMissElsiescornfully。

"No；it\'sonlythehotelthatownstheboatandgivesthetickets——

ahalf-crownthepassage。”

"Anddotheowners，theMcHulishes，permitthis？"

Theporterlookedatthemwithapuzzled，half-pityingpoliteness。

Hewasahandsome，tall，broad-shoulderedyoungfellow，withacertainnaiveandgentlecourtesyofmannerthatrelievedhisstrongaccent，"Oh，ay，"hesaid，withareassuringsmile；"ye\'llnobetroubledbyTHEM。I\'lljustgangawaynoo，andseeifIcansecuretheteekets。”

Anelderlyguest，whowasexaminingatime-tableonthewall，turnedtothemastheporterdisappeared。

"Ye\'llbestrangersnoo，andnotknowingthatTonalttheporterisaMcHulishhissel\'？"hesaiddeliberately。

"Awhat？"saidtheastonishedMissElsie。

"AMcHulish。Ay，oneofthefamily。TheMcHulishesofKelpiewerehisownforebears。Eh，buthe\'safinelad，anddoin\'wellforthehotel。”

MissElsieextinguishedasuddensmilewithherhandkerchiefashermotheranxiouslyinquired，"Andarethefamilyaspoorasthat？"

"ButIamnotsayinghe\'sPOOR，ma\'am，no，"repliedthestranger，withnativecaution。"Whatwi\'tipsandgratooitiesandpercentagesontheteekets，it\'sabitofmoneyhe\'llbehavinginthebanknoo。”

TheprophecyofDonaldMcHulishastotheweathercametrue。Thenextmorningwasbrightandsunny，andtheboattoKelpieIsland——

alargeyawl——dulyreceiveditscomplementofpassengersandprovisionhampers。Theladieshadapparentlybecomemoretolerantoftheirfellowpleasure-seekers，anditappearedthatMissElsiehadevenovercomeherhilarityatthediscoveryofwhat"mighthavebeen"arelativeinthepersonoftheporterDonald。"Ihadalongtalkwithhimbeforebreakfastthismorning，"shesaidgayly，"andIknowallabouthim。Itappearsthattherearehundredsofhim——

allMcHulishes——allalongthecoastandelsewhere——onlynoneofthemeverlivedONtheisland，anddon\'twantto。Buthelooksmorelikea\'laird\'andachiefthanMalcolm，andifitcomestochoosingaheadofthefamily，remember，maw，Ishallvotesolidforhim。”

"Howcanyougoonso，Elsie？"saidMrs。Kirkby，withlanguidprotest。"OnlyItrustyoudidn\'tsayanythingtohimofthesyndicate。And，thankHeaven!thepropertyisn\'there。”

"No；thewaitertellsmeallthelovelythingswehadforbreakfastcamefrommilesaway。Andtheydon\'tseemtohaveeverraisedanythingontheisland，fromitslooks。Thinkofhavingtorowthreemilesforthemorning\'smilk!"

Therewascertainlyverylittleappearanceofvegetationonthesterilecragsthatsoonbegantoliftthemselvesabovethesteelywavesahead。Afewscraggytreesandbushes，whichtwistedandwrithedlikevinesaroundthesquaretowerandcrumblingwallsofanirregularbutangularbuilding，lookedintheirbrownshadowslikepartofthedebris。

"It\'sjustlikeaburnt-downbone-boilingfactory，"saidMissElsiecritically；"andIshouldn\'twonderifthatreallywasoldMcHulish\'sbusiness。Theycouldn\'thaveitonthemainlandforitsbeinganuisance。”

Nevertheless，shewasoneofthefirsttoleapashorewhentheyawl\'sbowgratedinapebblycove，andcarriedherprettybutincongruouslittleslippersthroughtheseaweed，wetsand，andslimycobbleswithaheroismthatredeemedhervanity。A

scramblingascentofafewmomentsbroughtthemtoawallwithagapinit，whichgaveeasyingresstotheinterioroftheruins。

Thiswasmerelyalittlecurvinghollowfromwhichtheoutlinesoftheplanhadlongsincefaded。Itwaskeptgreenbythebrownwalls，which，likethecragsofthemainlandvalleys，sheltereditfromtheincessantstrifeoftheAtlanticgales。Afewpaleflowersthatmighthavegrowninadampcellarshiveredagainstthestones。Scrapsofnewspapers，soda-waterandbeerbottles，highlydecoratedoldprovisiontins，andspentcartridgecases，——theremainsofchillypicnicsanddampshootingluncheons，——hadatfirstsightlentcolortotheforegroundbymerecontrast，butthecorrosionoftimeandweatherhadblackenedratherthanmellowedthewallsinawaywhichforciblyremindedtheconsulofMissElsie\'ssimileofthe"burnt-downfactory。”Theviewfromthesquaretower——amereroostforuncleansea-fowl，fromthesidesofwhichragsofpeelingmossandvinehungliketatteredclothing——

wasequallydepressing。Thefewfishermen\'shutsalongtheshorewerebuiltofstonestakenfromtheruin，androofedinwithsoddenbeamsandtimbersinthelaststagesofdeliquescence。Thethicksmokeofsmoulderingpeat-firescamefromthelowchimneys，anddriftedacrosstheruinswiththeodorsofdryingfish。

"I\'vejustseenasortofground-planofthecastle，"saidMissElsiecheerfully。"Itneverhadaroominitasbigasourbedroominthehotel，andthereweren\'twindowsenoughtogoround。Aslitinthewall，abouttwoincheswidebytwofeetlong，wasconsidereddazzlingextravagancetoMalcolm\'sancestors。Idon\'twondersomeof\'embrokeoutandswamovertoAmerica。Thatremindsme。Whodoyousupposeishere——cameoverfromthehotelinaboatofhisown，justtoseemaw!"

"NotMalcolm，surely。”

"Notmuch，"repliedMissElsie，settinghersmalllipstogether。

"It\'sMr。Custer。He\'stalkingbusinesswithhernowdownonthebeach。They\'llbeherewhenlunchisready。”

TheconsulrememberedtheromanticplanwhichtheenthusiasticCusterhadimpartedtohiminthefoggyconsulateatSt。Kentigern，andthenthoughtofthematteroffacttourists，thefewstolidfishermen，andtheprosaicruinsaroundthem，andsmiled。Helookedup，andsawthatMissElsiewaswatchinghim。

"YouknowMr。Custer，don\'tyou？"

"WeareoldCalifornianfriends。”

"Ithoughtso；butIthinkhelookedalittleupsetwhenheheardyouwerehere，too。”

Hecertainlywasalittleawkward，asifstrugglingwithsomehalf-

humorousembarrassment，ashecameforwardafewmomentslaterwithMrs。Kirkby。Butthestimulationofthekeenseaairtriumphedovertheinfelicitiesofthesituationandsurroundings，andthelittlepartywerepresentlyenjoyingtheirwell-selectedluncheonwiththewholesomeappetiteoftravelandchange。Thechilldampmadelimpthenapkinsandtable-cloth，andinvadedthevictuals；

thewind，whichwasrising，whistledroundthewalls，andmademiniaturecyclonesofthetornpaperanddriedtwigsaroundthem:

buttheyate，drank，andweremerry。Attheendoftherepastthetwogentlemenrosetolighttheircigarsintheleeofthewall。

"IsupposeyouknowallaboutMalcolm？"saidCuster，afteranawkwardpause。

"Mydearfellow，"saidtheconsul，somewhatimpatiently，"Iknownothingabouthim，andyououghttoknowthatbythistime。”

"IthoughtYOURFRIEND，SirJames，mighthavetoldyou，"continuedCuster，withsignificantemphasis。

"IhavenotseenSirJamesfortwomonths。”

"Well，Malcolm\'sacrank——alwayswasone，Ireckon，andisreg\'larlyoffhisheadnow。Yes，sir；ScotchwhiskeyandyourfriendSirJamesfinishedhim。AfterthatdinneratMacFen\'shewasdonefor——wentwild。Dancedasword-dance，orastrathspey，orsomeotherblamedthing，onthetable，andyelledlouderthanthepipes。Sotheyalldid。Jack，I\'vepaintedthetownredoncemyself；IthoughtIknewwhatafirst-classjamboreewas:buttheywereprayer-meetingstothatshow。Everybodywasblinddrunk——buttheyallgotoveritexceptHIM。THEYwereadifferentlotofmenthenextday，ascoolandcautiousasyouplease，butHEwasshutupforaweek，andcameoutcrazy。”

"Butwhat\'sthattodowithhisclaim？"

"Well，thereain\'tmuchuse\'whoopinguptheboys\'whenonlythewhoopergetswild。”

"Still，thatdoesnotaffectanyrighthemayhaveintheproperty。”

"Butitaffectsthesyndicate，"saidCustergloomily；"andwhenwefoundthathewaswhoopingupsomeshopkeepersandfactoryhandswhoclaimedtobelongtotheclan，——andyoucan\'theaveastoneatadogaroundherewithouthittingaMcHulish，——weconcludedwehadn\'tmuchuseforhimornamentally。Soweshippedhimhomelaststeamer。”

"Andtheproperty？"

"Oh，that\'sallright，"saidCuster，stillgloomily。"We\'veeffectedanamicablecompromise，asSirJamescallsit。Thatmeanswe\'vetakenalotoflandsomewherenorth，thatyoucanshootover——

thatis，youneedn\'tbeafraidofhittingahouse，oratree，oramananywhere；andwe\'vegotastripmoreofthesamesortontheseashoresomewhereoffhere，occupiedonlybysomegaygalootscalledcrofters，andyoucanraisealawsuitandanimprecationoneveryacre。Thenthere\'sthissoul-subduing，sequesteredspot，andwhat\'sleftoftheoldbone-boilingestablishment，andtherightsoffishingandpeat-burning，andotherwisecreatinganuisanceoffthemainland。Itcostthesyndicateonlyahundredthousanddollars，halfcashandhalfinTexanandKentuckygrasslands。Butwe\'vecarriedthethingthrough。”

"Icongratulateyou，"saidtheconsul。

"Thanks。”Custerpuffedathiscigarforafewmoments。"ThatSirJamesMacFenisafineman。”

"Heis。”

"Alarge，broad，all-roundman。Knowseverythingandeverybody，don\'the？"

"Ithinkso。”

"Bigmaninthechurch，Ishouldsay？Noslouchatapartycanvass，orwardpolitics，eh？Asaboarddirector，orpresident，justtakesthecake，don\'the？"

"Ibelieveso。”

"NothingmeanaboutJimmyasanadvocateoranarbitrator，either，isthere？Ringsthebelleverytime，don\'the？Financierstakeabackseatwhenhe\'saround？OwnshalfofScotlandbythistime，I

reckon。”

TheconsulbelievedthatSirJameshadthereputationofbeingexceedinglysagaciousinfinancialandmercantilematters，andthathewasamanofsomewealth。

"Naturally。Iwonderwhathe\'dtaketocomeovertoAmerica，andgivetheboyspoints，"continuedCuster，inmeditativeadmiration。

"ThereweretwoorthreemenonScott\'sRiver，andoneChinaman，thatweusedtothinksmart，buttheyweredodderingijutstoHIM。

Andasforme——Isay，Jack，youdidn\'tseeanyhayseedinmyhairthatdayIwalkedinteryourconsulate，didyou？"

Theconsulsmilinglyadmittedthathehadnotnoticedthesesignsofrusticinnocenceinhisfriend。

"Noranyflies？Well，forallthat，whenIgethomeI\'mgoingtoresign。NomoreforeigninvestmentsforME。WhenanybodycallsattheconsulateandasksforH。J。Custer，sayyoudon\'tknowme。

Andyoudon\'t。AndIsay，Jack，trytosmooththingsoverformewithHER。”

"WithMissElsie？"

Custercastaglanceofprofoundpityupontheconsul。"NowithMrs。Kirkby，ofcourse。See？"

Theconsulthoughthedidsee，andthathehadatlastfoundacluetoCuster\'sextraordinaryspeculation。But，likemosttheoristswhoarguefromasinglefact，afewmonthslaterhemighthavedoubtedhisdeduction。