Macleod of Dare

ome downstairs, and were seated at table with their small party of guests. This circumstance did not lessen Sir Keith Macleod's trepidation; for there is no denying t

incident of the upsetting of the cab, he found himself seated next to this benign lady, and apparently in a bewildering paradise of beautiful lights and colors and delicious odors. Asparagus soup? Yes, he would take that; but for a second or two this spacious and darkened room, with its stained glass and its sombre walls, and the table before him, with its masses of roses and lilies-of-the-valley, its silver,

sery or in the kitchen than in flirting with young men; and could he doubt that she was a good house-mistress when he saw with his own eyes how spick and span everything was, and how accurately everything was served? Even if his cousin Janet lived in the south, with all these fine flowers and hot-house fruits to serve her purpose, she could not have done better. He began to like this pleasant-eyed woman, though she seemed delicate, and a trifle languid, and in consequence he sometimes could

ul country you must know so well, and of its romantic stories and associations with Prince Charlie. Gertrude, let me introduce Sir Keith M

of Prince Charlie, Mrs. Ross. After Flora Macdonald had got him safe from Harris to Skye, she handed him over to the sons of Macleod of Raasay, and it was owing to them that he got to the mainland. You will find many people up there to this day who believe that if Macleod of Macleod had gone out in '45, Prince Charlie would never have had to flee at all. But I think the Macleods had done

Jacobite, Sir Keith," s

song sung," said he. "Then wh

had speedily lost that fear. The manly, sun-browned face and clear-glancing eyes were full of animation; he was oppressed no longer by the solemnity of the servants; so long as he talked to her he wa

ut of the quarrels of the clans among themselves. All about where I live there is scarcely a rock, or a loch, or an island that has not its story. And

s she did so, she turned her eyes towards him-clear, large eyes that rather

certain demure smile, "you hav

broken. The wild boars are all away from the islands now, even from Muick; we have only

more terrible in their loneliness? Those were the days of strong wills and strong passions, and of an easy disregard of individual life when the gratification of some set desire was near. Wh

ng water was reflected. Then from this partial gloom he emerged into the drawing-room-a dream of rose-pink and gold, with the air sweetened around him by the masses of roses and tall lilies about. His eyes were rather bewildered at first; the figures of the women seemed dark against the white lace of the windows. But as he went forward to his hostess, he could make out still further wonders of color; for in the balconies outside, in the full glare of the sun, were geraniums, and lobelias, and golden calceola

arranging some azaleas that had just been sent her. "We are very prou

s; but the next second he recognized th

e this way, t

ender figure. He had never seen any statue or any picture in any book to be compared with this woman, who was so fine, and rare, and delicate that she seemed only a beautiful tall flower in this garden of flowers. There was a strange simplicity, too, about her dress-a plain, tight-fitting, tight-sleeved dress of unrelieved black, her only adornment being

e window side were some rows of Cape heaths, on the wall side some rows of blue and white plates; and it was one of the latter that w

said Miss White to her companion; an

as good as an auctioneer at telling the value of china. Look

re palely roseate and waxen? If one were to grasp that hand-in some sudden moment of entreaty, in t

y. "Mrs. Ross and I regard it as our

unshine, lay the broad greensward behind Prince's Gate, with the one splendid elm spreading his broad branches into the blue sky, and throwing a soft shadow on the corner of the gardens next to the house. How sweet and still it was!-as still as the calm, clear light in this girl's eyes. There

ly that he should look at a tree? and was he to say some ordina

o London. You seem always to have sunlight and plenty of fine trees a

"For my part, I should very soon tire of it. I should think there was more excitement in the wild storms and the dark nights of the north;

at it? And as for her talking as if she herself would gladly brave these storms-was it for a

he way he could not fail to remark how shapely her neck was,

oment Mrs. Ross ma

most. And you must stay with us, Gertrude. Perhaps Sir Keith will be so kind as to freeze your blood with another horrible story about the Highlanders. I am o

we were talking of the highlands, because we understood you were coming; and Mrs. Ross was trying to make out"-and here a spice of proud mischief came into her or

a very dreadful lot of people at one time. What a shame it was to track the poor fellow over the snow, and t

he Macleods hand and foot and set them adrift in the boat, and they would not do it. And if the Macdo

han that. What were the Macleods about on the island at all whe

putting him out in the Atlantic, and suffocating him in a cave? It

lood in you," said Mrs. Ross, with a smile, "if you tr

o-that killed the chief of the Mackintoshes after she had received him as a friend. 'Put your head down on the table,' said she to the chief, 'in token of your submission to the Earl of Huntly.' And n

; and Macdonald is to sleep in the castle, while his men have a barn prepared for them. You know very well, Sir Keith, that if Macdonald had remained that night in Dunvegan Castle he would have been murdered; and if the Macleod girl had not given a word of warning to her sweetheart, the men in the barn

he, gravely. "They were all kil

Macleod who built a stone tower on a lone

will not you help me? Am I to be made respons

the sound of this voice pleading for him went to

phrase, or what it means, but it sounds well. You first acknowledge that the Macleods were by far the most savage of the pe

mbush now-enticing your enemy, and then taking him at a disadvantage. And if you did not do that to hi

were all sheep

Maclean of Lochbuy-that is in Mull," said he, not h

Maclean of Duart tried to capture the young heir of the house of Lochbuy, and how the boy was rescued and carried away by his nurse? And when, arrived at man's estate, he returned to revenge himself on those who had betrayed him, among them was the husband of the nurse. The young chief would have spared the life of this man, for the old woman's sake. "Let the tail go with the hide," said she, and he was slain with the rest. And then the narrator went on to the story of t

ched a place overhanging the sea. And he held out the child over the sea; and it was no use that Maclean begged on his knees for forgiveness. Even the passion of loyalty was lost now in the fierceness of his revenge. This was what the man said-that unless Maclean had his back bared there and then before all the people, and flogged as he had been flogged, then the child should be dashed into the sea below. There was noth

as strange. Her clasped hands trembled; her eyes were glazed and fascinated as if by some

ese stories. Come and sing us a song-a French song, all about tears, and fountains, and bits of

he drawing-room, and retired to a sofa, while Miss White sat down to the open piano. He hoped he had n

rer; and now he fancied he recognized some old familiar strain; and he thought of his cousin Janet somehow, and of summer days down by the blue waters of the Atlantic. A French song? Surely if this air, that seemed to come nearer an

cam' to ou

uch of a voice, it was exquisitely trained, and she sang with a tend

d sweet an

e o'ercome

me for Prin

ard the bonni

cam' drapp

bonnet o

lo'ed Princ

exist apart from the actual sorrow of the world. The instrument before her seemed

bird, my bonni

a sang y

words ye've l

o' dool

no,' the we

n sin' mor

day o' win

e for Princ

song it was that Miss White had chosen; but he paid no heed. His only th

ame over to him and said, "That

y, "I have never heard

sant and amusing fashion to Miss White. She was turning over the leaves of the book before her, and Macleod grew angry with this idle interference. Why sh

at all the spirit of all the clans was ringing in the proud fervor of this fragile girl's voi

l, and Appin, a

Murray and Ro

he shall fly to th

ads I can trust

od did not know there was scarcely any more volume in this girl's voice now than when she was singing the plaintive wail that p

Lowlands, down w

landers, down w

d, drive on wi'

o' the foes o'

low thee! wha wa

and hearts, bonni

o. She came over to where Macleod sat. When he saw that

ng, "for singing two Scotch songs, for I

with no idle

of them all, not even the Fair Young Charles himself, who looked more handsome than this same Macleod of Dar

t her e

guests beg

is at the door? And I know the gentlemen want to have a cigar in the shade

them almost directly, Mrs. Ross saying that she would be most pleased to see Sir Keith Macleod an

about the cigar," said young Ogilvie, as they cross

rs. R

es

he is a very p

d she strike you? Do you think she is

urred to me to ask whether a married woman was fascinating or not. I

eautiful Kensington Gardens are in June? And yet Macleod did not seem disposed to b

cy she has taken for Gertrude

" the other asked,

s a sort of British Museum of antiquities; but he is of some use to these people-he is such a swell about old armor, and china, and such things.

d on a bit

than I to take you about, for I am so little in London that I have become a rank outsider. But I'll tell you what I'll do for you if you will go with me to-night to Lord Beauregard's who is an old friend of mine. I will ask him to introduce you to some people-and his wife gives very good dances-and if any royal or imp

od asked, apparently deeply engag

. Then a new fancy seemed to occur

she will be at the Piccadilly Theatre. If you like, we will give up Lady Beaur

ill do very wel