United States or Costa Rica ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Lord Cairnforth's eyes brightened when he saw him; and, carried in Malcolm's arms a few stragglers of the congregation standing aside to let them pass the young earl was brought to the door of the kirk where his family had worshiped for generations. Two elders stood there beside the plate white-headed farmers, who remembered both the late lord and the one before him.
This was, that after he came of age, and ended his university career, instead of taking "the grand tour," like most young heirs of the period, Cardross should settle down at home, in the character of of Lord Cairnforth's private secretary always at hand, and ready in every possible way to lighten the burden of business which, even as a young man, the earl had found heavy enough, and as an old man he would be unable to bear.
But it must have been a mingling of awe and affectionateness; for he would often even before he could walk crawl up to the little chair, steady himself by it, and then look into Lord Cairnforth's face with those mysterious baby eyes, full of questioning, but yet without the slightest fear. And once, when his mother was teaching him his first hymn
Lord Cairnforth's intentions toward herself or her son she insisted on keeping wholly secret, except, of course, as regarded that dear and good father. "I may die," she said to the earl "die before yourself; and if my boy grows up, you may not love him, or he may not deserve your love, in which case you must choose another heir.
"Do you think that? Well, we shall see. I must try and make it so, as well as I can. I am but where I was before, as Dr. Hamilton said. Poor Dr. Hamilton! He is so sorry." Mr. Cardross did not ask about what, but turned to the table and began cutting open the leaves of a book. For Helen, she drew nearer to Lord Cairnforth's chair, and laid over the poor, weak, wasted fingers her soft, warm hand.
Your boy is only a child, and errs as such, and you treat him as if he had sinned like a grown-up man. Be reasonable. We will both take care of him. No fear that he will turn out a liar!" Helen hesitated; but still her looks were so angry and stern, all the mother vanished out of them, that the boy, instead of clinging to her, ran away crying, and hid himself behind Lord Cairnforth's chair.
Word Of The Day