' He said
you were a splendid fellow--I can't think what made him imagine
that--but he said it several times, so I suppose he had some reason
for it. I was frightfully pleased. I like you to be a splendid fellow,
Ron!"

I was very glad to hear that the old General was really pleased to
hear of my visit. I had intended to stay at the Glenelg Hotel, as I
could hardly invite myself to Invermalluch Lodge, even though I had
known the old man all my life. Accordingly I took it as a definite
sign that his opposition was wearing down when Myra told me I was
expected at the house.

"And he said," she continued, "that he never heard such ridiculous
nonsense as your saying you were coming to the hotel, and that if you
preferred a common inn to the house that had been good enough for him
and his fathers before him, you could stop away altogether. So there!"

"Good--that's great!" I said enthusiastically. "But did you come over
by the boat from Glenelg, or what?"

"No, dear; I came in the motor-boat, so we don't need to hang about
the pier here. We can either go straight home or wait a bit, whichever
you like. I wanted to meet you, and I thought you'd rather come back
with me in the motor-boat than jolt about in the stuffy old _Sheila_."

"Rather, dear; I should say I would," said I--and a lot more besides,
which has nothing to do with the story. Suddenly Myra's motherly
instinct awoke.

"Have you had breakfast?" she asked.

"Yes, dear--at Crianlarich. The only decent meal to be got on a
railway in this country is a Crianlarich breakfast."

"Well, in that case you're ready for lunch. It's gone twelve. I could
do with something myself, incidentally, and I want to talk to you
before we start for home. Let's have lunch here."

I readily agreed, and after calling Sholto, who was being conducted on
a tour of inspection by the parson's dog, we strolled up the hill to
the hotel. As we entered the long dining-room we came upon Hilderman,
seated at one of the tables with his back to us.

"Yes," he was saying to the waiter, "I have been spending the week-end
on the Clyde in a yacht. I joined the train at Ardlui this morning,
and I can tell you----"

I didn't wait to hear any more. Rather by instinct than as a result of
any definite train of thought, I led Myra quickly behind a Japanese
screen to a small table by a side window. After all, it was no
business of mine if Hilderman wished to say he had joined the train at
Ardlui. He