White Wings, Volume III

the white horses out there on the driven green sea, and the fresh northerly breeze that comes in gusts a

n John," says the Youth, who is waiting

"This is the kind of day that Dr. Sutherland would

onally approaching his hostess, but never getting an opportunity of speaking with her alone. At last, when he observes that every

low for a moment, ma'am

m down into the saloon, wondering not a little. And as

ed that she is sorely troubled about something-though she puts a brave face on it and will not acknowledg

sed it," sai

ask ye. Do ye know? Have ye guessed? Surely it is something that some of us can help her wi'. Indeed, it just distresses me beyond measure to see that trouble in

Young people must manage their affairs for th

what is it? What

ent, apparently uncertain as to how

t I may as well say at once that when we were in West Loch Tarbert, Dr. Sutherland asked her

says the Laird, wi

er they say 'Yes' or 'No' they are sure to cry over it. And naturally; for wheth

ecovering from his fi

at is what any one would have expecte

derstanding between them. If any girl ever encouraged a man, she did. Why, sir, when you proposed that your nephew should come with us, and make love to Mary, I said 'Yes' because I th

look into her eyes: Angus was her friend; she had n

filling in the details with a lingering and loving care-seemed to fade away into impalpable mist; and he was confronted by blank

"I am obliged to ye for your information: perhap

ht to stay hi

timidly, "it would be better for

aird

le I would try to help her; and I will not break my promise through any fear of being called an intermeddler. I will go to the girl myself-when I have the

ing away, when agai

at I was a little disappointed. And it seemed so certain. But I am sure she has suffi

ught to do; and nothing would make her flinch." Then he added, after a second, "But I will think over it; and t

ch Crinan, and getting farther out into this squally green sea. There were bursts of sunlight flying across the rocks and the

d in a loud and confident fashion to John of Skye, about the weather, and the Dorus Mor, and Corrievrechan. Finally, he suggested,

quishing the tiller to him with a smile of th

the tiller, he might have done very well; but this looped rope, to which he had to cling so as to steady himself, seemed puzzli

!" called John of S

re was a rattling of blocks; two men came tumbling up fr

to the distressed steersman; and this somewhat infant

r John of Skye put his pip

ut now, sir," he c

himself leisurely proceeding to stand by the weather fore-sheet. The

own, sir, if

he deck, and then with both hands endeavoured to jam the tiller towards the

r!" Mary Avon crie

swung to leeward. And then as the bow sheered round, and the White Dove made away for the mouth of Loch Craignish on the port ta

awake down over his forehead. "Have ye not got a bit song for us?

a faint colour suffused her che

n his facetious manner, "ye are not looking

ing very brilliant; but he manag

d he, "I will blame

atisfied with his performances. "I am not going to steer this b

th its swirling currents. However, when the proper time came we got through the Dorus Mor very easily, there being a strong flood

hl the plates was cleaned;" and how Homesh had answered another tourist, who represented that the towel in the lavatory was not as it should be, that "more than fifty or sixty people was using that towel this very day, and not a complaint from any one of t

s thick with whirled spray, and the decks were running wet. The White Dove listed over before the heavy wind, so that her scuppers were a foot deep in water; while opening the gangway only relieved the pressure for a second or two; the next moment a

of the rocks. And then away again on the port tack; with the women clinging desperately to the weather bulwarks, lest perchance they should swiftly glide down the gleaming decks into the hissing water that rolled along the lee scuppers.

ck tramping overhead, and noise and shouting. The Youth was hastily bidden to leave his pickle jars, and go

"but my cap has been knocked overboard, and I

rd, in the most heartless manner; "and I wi

progress. Then, the farther the wind veered, the more it became a land wind; and the sea abated considerably: so that long before we could make out Castle Osprey on the face of the hill,

ng, and whether Johnny Guthrie had been fomenting sedition. But it was not these things that troubled the Laird. He had been somewhat medita

t I would fain avoid. It would be a sad blow to me. I have built much on the scheme I was telling ye

derstand you, sir

" said the old Laird, with a sigh; and

in former days were made of: if she believes a thing to be right, she will do it, at any cost or sacrifice. Do ye mind the first evening I met her at your hou

used for a m

perspicacity: perhaps he would rather have fought against the conclusion forced on him. "When s

undoub

have been an independence. It would have helped him in the world; it would have left him free. And s

t the varnishing of the gig; he ke

free to become great and famous, that the sentiment of the moment was a trifling thing compared to what the world expected from Dr. Sutherland. Ye will not forget what she sa

the cheeks of the woma

nstrous-she ought to be horsewhipped!" she exclaimed quite

aird shoo

particularly them that have been kind to her-and that she thinks no more of herself than if she had no feelings at all. Well, ma'am, if what I am guessing at is true-it is only a speculation o' mine, an

he went nearer the boat. His fingers were nervous, and

e added slowly-and the woman beside him knew, rather than saw, that the sad grey eyes were somehow