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Ian's slender hand could but just reach with its finger-tips the haunted spot. In vain he tried to knock it down against a stone put inside. Alister could suggest nothing. But Mistress Conal's cottage was near: they might there find something to help! Only Christina could not be left behind, and how was she to walk in a silk stocking over a road frozen hard as glass?
The captain did not offer the berth to me, but he was very kind, and returned my money, and gave us a written paper testifying to our good conduct and capabilities. He also gave Alister his address, and he and the other officers collected a small sum of money for him as a parting gift. That afternoon we three crossed the harbour, and went for a walk in the pine-woods. How I longed for Charlie!
As a boy I used to spend the greater part of my holidays with him, and being childless himself, he regarded me more or less as a son. On February 16th Ethne, her mother, and Sir Alister Moeran arrived. I motored to the station to meet them. The evening was cold and raw and so dark that it was almost impossible to distinguish people on the badly lighted little platform.
When the ladies overtook them in the morning, Alister was reading, from an old manuscript volume of his brother's which he had found in a chest, a certain very early attempt at humour, and now they disputed concerning it as they watched the fire. It had abundance of faults, and in especial lacked suture, but will serve to show something of lan's youthful ingenium.
It was from the family lawyer in Glasgow, informing him that the bank in which his uncle had deposited the proceeds of his sale of the land, was in a state of absolute and irrecoverable collapse; there was not the slightest hope of retrieving any portion of the wreck. Alister did not jump up and pace the room in the rage of disappointment; neither did he sit as one stunned and forlorn of sense.
"Then, Alister, do you not see that the love of our mother earth is meant to be but a beginning; and that such love as yours for the land belongs to that love of things which must perish? You seem to me not to allow it to blossom, but to keep it a hard bud; and a bud that will not blossom is a coffin.
"I knew everything you were thinking," said lan. "Of course you did!" answered Alister. "But I am very sorry!" "So am I! It is a terrible bore!" A pause followed. Alister burst into a laugh that was not merry. "It makes me think of the look on my father's face," he said, "once at the market, as he was putting in his pocket a bunch of more than usually dirty bank-notes.
In himself he was much beloved, and in love the blessed rule, blessed where understood, holds, that to him that hath shall be given, he only who has being fit to receive. The love the people bore to his father, both pastor and chief, crowned head and heart of Alister. Scarce man or woman of the poor remnant of the clan did not love the young Macruadh. On his side was true response.
"Then, since you did not know she was away, you, of course, have not heard the other news?" went on my aunt. "No," I answered in a wooden voice. "I've heard nothing." She beamed. "The dear child is engaged to a Sir Alister Moeran, whom she met in Luxor. Everyone is delighted, as it is a splendid match for her.
"You do not trust me! How then am I to trust you?" "Sir!" exclaimed Alister and, again finding himself on the point of being foolish, laughed. "I will pay you when the job is done," said Valentine. "That is quite fair, but it does not suit my purpose," returned Alister. They were walking along the road side by side, but each could scarcely see anything of the other.
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