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And to him who had lived in the constant presence of his mother the many restrictions laid upon the children at Loch Lossie seemed cruelly hard; and it was a discipline that seemed to have no meaning, that seemed to presuppose disobedience.
The week passed quietly, and without any further pleading on Jeff's part; only, he was unusually quiet and thoughtful. On the morning before the expected arrival of the steamer from India, Jeff was missing from Loch Lossie. Brian came in hot haste to his father, eager to inform him of the unwarranted disappearance. Brian was fond of establishing his own virtue by declaring the faults of others.
"I am the marquis of Lossie, and while I am your elder brother and the head of the family you shall never with my consent marry that base man a man it would blast me to the soul to call brother." Liftore uttered a fierce imprecation. "If you dare give breath to another such word in my sister's presence I will have you gagged," said Malcolm.
"I don't doubt it," returned Lord Lossie, "but for the sense, I can make nothing of it. And you think my brother believed the story?" "He always laughed at it, my lord, but pretended at least to give in to old Eppie's entreaties." "You mean that he was more near believing it than he liked to confess?" "That's not what I mean, my lord." "Why do you say pretended then?"
Behind the form of the earl, his mind's eye saw that of Lizzy, out in the wind on the Boar's Tail, her old shawl wrapped about herself and the child of the man who sat there so composed and comfortable. His features were fine and clear cut, his shoulders broad, and his head well set: he had much improved since Malcolm offered to fight him with one hand in the dining room of Lossie House.
"Gien your lordship's hed hed as mony blasts o' nicht win', an' as mony jaups o' cauld sea watter aboot its lugs as oors, it wad hae been fit to stan' as muckle o' the barley bree as the stievest o' the lot, I s' warran'." "I hope so," returned Lord Lossie, who, having taken a seat at the end of the table, was now mixing a tumbler of toddy.
But thereupon Malcolm set his port vent to his mouth, rapidly filled his bag, while the man stared as if it were a petard with which he was about to blow the door to shivers, and then sent from the instrument such a shriek, as it galloped off into the Lossie Gathering, that involuntarily his adversary pressed both hands to his ears.
For that painter fellow, Lenorme they call him, I could knock him on the teeth with the dish every time I hold it to him. And to see him stare at Lady Lossie as he does!" "A painter must want to get a right good hold of the face he's got to paint," said Malcolm. "Is he here often?"
When the fit was over, and he found Mr Graham was gone, he asked Malcolm, who had resumed his watch, how long it would take Lady Florimel to come from Edinburgh. "Mr Crathie left wi' fower horses frae the Lossie Airms last nicht, my lord," said Malcolm; "but the ro'ds are ill, an' she winna be here afore sometime the morn." The marquis stared aghast: they had sent for her without his orders.
As he spoke they made various signs to him not to interfere, but Malcolm paid them no heed, and turned to his grandfather, eager to persuade him to go home. They had no intention of letting him off yet, however. Acquainted probably through his gamekeeper, who laid himself out to amuse his master with the piper's peculiar antipathies, Lord Lossie now took up the game.
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