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。