wrong to say that he
should never have a lot of people hanging round him, because there can
surely be no harm in letting him see a few friends. I certainly think
he's right to make an exception for the grouse."

"Grouse!" sniffed Myra. "They come for the Twelfth because they like
to be seen travelling north on the eleventh! And I have to entertain
them. And some of the ones who come for the first time tell me they
suppose I know all the pretty walks round about! And in any case," she
finished, in high indignation, "can you imagine _me_ entertaining
anybody?"

"Yes, my dear, I can," I replied; and the "argument" kept us busy
till we reached Invermalluch. The old General came down to the
landing-stage to meet us, and was much more honestly pleased to see
me than I had ever known him before.

"Ah! Ronald, my boy!" he exclaimed heartily. "'Pon my soul, I'm glad
to see you. It's true, I suppose? You've heard the news?"

The question amused me, because it was so typical of the old fellow.
Here had I come from London, where the Cabinet was sitting night and
day, to a spot miles from the railway terminus, to be asked if I had
heard the news!

"You mean the war, of course?" I replied.

"Yes; it's come, my boy, at last. Come to find me on the shelf! Ah,
well! It had to come sooner or later, and now we're not ready. Ah,
well, we must all do what we can. Begad, I'm glad to see you, my boy,
thundering glad. It's a bit lonely here sometimes for the little
woman, you know; but she never complains." (In point of fact, she even
contrived to laugh, and take her father's arm affectionately in
her's.) "And besides, there are many things I want to have a talk with
you about, Ronald--many things. By the way, had lunch?"

"We lunched at Mallaig, thank you, sir," I explained.

"Well, well, Myra will see you get all you want--won't you, girlie?"
he said.

"I say, Ronnie," Myra asked, as we reached the house, "are you very
tired after your journey, or shall we have a cup of tea and then take
our rods for an hour or so?"

I stoutly declared I was not the least tired--as who could have been
in the circumstances?--and I should enjoy an hour's fishing with Myra
immensely. So I ran upstairs and had a bath, and changed, and came
down to find the General waiting for me. Myra had disappeared into the
kitchen regions to give first-aid to a bare-legged crofter laddie who
had cut his foot on a broken bottle.

"Well, my boy," said the old ma