White Wings, Volume III

ot understand it. He kept walking from one room to another, or hovering about the hall; and when the breakfast-gong sounded, he refused to come in and take his place without his accustomed

? Have ye done all this this morning? Ye m

ngs of a sketch, rather-of the wide, beautiful sea

t from me those sketches I have made on board the White Dove-and-and if they were at Denny-mains, I shou

nt, with a grave, perhaps w

rather have seen y

of parochial importance, his solemn discussions of the Semple case, his idiotic stories about Homesh. And it was not a mere freak of generosity that revealed to us something of the finer nature of this old Scotchman. People as rich as he have often paid bigger sums than 10,300*l.* for the furtherance of a hobby. But it

ere mysterious questions about Messrs. Hughes, Barnes, and Barnes; as to whether consultations were best

od-naturedly. "I will send you some pa

"before you are in Bedfordshire the White Dove will be

to start, then, sir

te, if it please

aid nothing. In the meantime the

or him to make that speech of thanks which his uncle had pointed out was distinctly due from him. The Laird, ind

aving bidden good-bye to the others, he shook han

I have enjoyed the who

ing salute; and away he went. The Laird frowned. When he was a you

d from regarding the

t ready to st

sir?" asks the hos

ur service,

t once set the whole house in an uproar; or send down for the men; or begin herself to harry the garde

in having the things carried down; so I will do

her hostess says in a hur

to the library, s

llowed her; and

ngus Sutherland?" she aske

on, ma'am," said

plain, which she did in a

y, very great generosity to her. I

und a small matter wrong in the world that I thought I could put right

re quite right in your conjectures-at least, I imagine so-indeed,

ely. I had to ask some questions of the lass, no doubt, to make sure of my ground; though I felt it was not a business fit for an old b

ooked rathe

will never allow me to send for him-a

telegram from h

, "until the end of th

the magazine that Angus Sutherland edited; and was in rep

I might ask

" said he; and again she was th

ured, and done, for the sake of this girl; and was she not prepared to risk something also? After a

her; she had the telegram in her hand. For a second or two she stood irresolute; then she boldly walked across the

d gentle voice, "will you write to

had been holding on to the gr

" said she, in an equally

ent hi

she only saw that Mary Avon's fingers were wo

imagining the cause of your sending him awa

the kindest friend I ever found in the world had to say of me yesterday, about young people who were too p

young man who would throw over his sweetheart for the sake of money. You mercenary! Well, let me ap

it," said the girl, in a somewhat broken voice; and tears

e other, in her kindliest way. "I won't ask you to do

, and drying her eyes. She seemed greatly reli

men have the lug

ly beginning to put away her colours. "What a fine br

ther to the shore and back again. By twelve o'clock everything had been got on board. Then the

t friend the Doctor had remarked-called up a multitude of recollections, mostly converging to a general sense of

f my days in this yacht. It seems as if

hues? The sea is never familiar. In its constant and moving change, its secret and slumbering power, its connection with the great unknown beyond the visible horizon, you never become familiar with the sea. We may recognise the well-known landmarks as we steal away to the north-the long

. However, there was a wan and spectral look about the sunshine of this afternoon, and there were some long, ragged shreds of cloud in the southern heavens-just over the huge round shoulders of the Mull mountains-that t

t to us; then there was a violent shaking of blocks and spars, and, as the White Dove bent to the squall, a most frightful clatter was heard below, showing that some careless people had been about. Then away went the yacht like an arrow! We cared little for the gusts

f that cup among the hills with an exceeding violence. When the spray sprang high at the bows, the flying shreds of it that reached us bore an uncommon resemblance to the thong of a whip. The topsail was got down, the mizen taken in, and then we proceeded to fight our way into the harbour in a series of tacks that seemed to last only a quarter of a second. What with the howling of the wind, that blew back his orders in his face; and what with the wet decks, that caused the men to stumble now and again; and what with the n

ecret spirit of cheerfulness had got possession of certain members of this party, without any ostensible cause. There was no longer the depression that

en the saloon and the forecastle; and when this state-room is not in use, Master Fred is in the habit of converting it into a sort of pantry, seeing that it adjoins his g

e is no one now in this state-roo

of the kind, Fred," s