Macleod of Dare

the life and stir and gayety of London in the sweet June time, when the parks a

nder the elms at Hyde Park, with his beautiful silver-white and lemon-colored collie attracting the admiration of every passer-by. Nor had he waited for the permission of Lieutenant Ogilvie to make his entrance into, at least, one little corner of society. He was recognized in St. James's Street one morning by a noble lady whom he had met once or twice at Inverness; and she, having stopped her carriage, was pleased to ask him to lunch with herself and her husband next day. To the great grief of Oscar, who had to be shut up by himself, Macleod went up next day to Brook Street, and there met several people whose names he knew as repres

red. He was a most correctly dressed person. His hat, and gloves, and cane, and long-tailed frock-coat were all beautiful; but it was, perhaps, the tightness of his nether garments, or, perhaps, the tightn

do?" and Macleod gave him a grip of the

ang forward with an angry growl; then he seemed to recognize the situation of affairs, when he saw his master holdi

starch gone out of his manner; "your dog's all wet? What

iters too, and the horsey-looking nether garments. Moreover, the Highland

my bedroom to dry. I couldn't do more, cou

t he repented him of this rash saying, for within a week he had offered Macleod ￡20 for the dog. He might have offered twe

ke no more notice of his boots. Macleod put some sherry on the table, and a handful of ci

like the rooms

narrow street," Macleod said, frankly; "but that is n

"but I forgot you had come fresh up, with your pocket full of money. If

re are no gold mines in the west of

ould scarcely believe it. Every new batch of fellows who come in have to be dined all round; and the mess

d, I suppose," Macleo

lwart young fellow before him, "By Jove, Macleod, I'm glad to see you in London. It's like a breath of mountain air. Don't I remember the awful mornings we've had togethe

e glad to see you, and Janet, too; though we haven't got any fine young ladies for you to make love to, unless you go up to Fort William, or Fort George, or Inverness. And I was all o

" said young Ogilvie, who knew well of the str

she thinks it keeps me at home. But a young man cannot always stay

e. "It is a capital thing to have younger brothers; it i

p, then, and bury yo

will; but I am afraid there isn't much chance this year. In the meantime,

think you were so stu

going up to the capital of a country

the south, and going down to the north. And how can you go down to the Highlands? You might go down to the Lowlands. But no doubt you are right; and I

about among my feet," said Ogilvie. "But I have somethin

heard

ty-I am not sure it isn't an island-in your part of the country; and she has never been to the Highlands

ooked at

nce's Gate from

a half, I

to two," said he, rising. "I

ou, we will perform the journey in a hansom. I am not in t

her tight," said Macleo

eautiful foliage of the parks-all these were a perpetual wonder and delight to the new-comer, who was as eager in the enjoyment of this gay world of pleasure and activity as any gi

very handsome wo

dee

fascinating, too

all

k out, if she tries

ried woman,"

d this wise person; "for they ar

l that kind of talk in books and magazines: it is ridiculous. Do you think I will believe tha

. What I mean is, that Mrs. Ross is a bit of a lion-h

to make an ass of m

ave time to get into your kilts now? But you must be prepared to meet all sorts of queer folks at her house, especially if you stay on a bit and have some tea-mysterious poets that

laim, then, to go t

oss. She never asked me to put my name in her autograph-book. But I have done a bit of the jackal for her once or twice,

propitiate her?

will pet you, or she will snuff you out like winking. I d

hey would not yield. At this juncture, Macleod, who was not accustomed to hansom cabs, and did not at all like this first experience of them, determined to get out somehow; and so he raised himself a bit, so as to get his back firm against the back of the vehicle; he pulled up his leg until his knee almost touched his mouth; he got the heel of his boot firmly fixed on the top edge of the door: and then with one forward drive he tore the panel right away from its hinges. The other was of course flung open at once. Then he grasped the brass rail outside, steadied himself for a moment, and jumped clear from the cab, lighting on the pavement. Strange to say, Ogilvie did not follow, though Macleod, as he rushed a

d Macleod to him, after seeing

as looking at his besmeared

t's to be done now? The hous

they will lend yo

thank you. I will go along till I find so

arter of an hour before he had completed his toilet; and then they se

eman you would have killed him. And you never paid the cabman for destroying the lid of th

ea-lochs in the Highlands-you look all round and cannot find any gull anywhere but throw a biscuit into the water, and you will find them appearing

te for luncheon," said Mr.