han he would confess. He had hoped that Colin
would answer his father's summons, because he believed now that the
life he was leading was unmanning him. The poetical element in his
character was usurping an undue mastery. He wrote to Colin very
sternly, and told him plainly that a poetic pantheism was not a whit
less sinful than the most vulgar infidelity.

Still he advised the laird to be patient, and by no means to answer
Colin's letter in a hurry. But only fixed more firmly the angry
father's determination. Colin must come home and fulfil his wish, or
he must time remain away until he returned as master. As his son, he
would know him no more; as the heir of Crawford, he would receive at
intervals such information as pertained to that position. For the old
man was just in his anger; it never seemed possible to him to deprive
Colin of the right of his heritage. To be the 13th Laird of Crawford
was Colin's birthright; he fully recognized his title to the honor,
and, as the future head of the house, rendered him a definite respect.

Of course a letter written in such a spirit did no good whatever.
Nothing after it could have induced Colin to come home. He wrote and
declined to receive even the allowance due to him as heir of Crawford.
The letter was perfectly respectful, but cruelly cold and polite, and
every word cut the old man like a sword.

For some weeks he really seemed to lose all interest in life. Then the
result Tallisker feared was arrived at. He let ambition go, and
settled down to the simple toil of accumulation.

CHAPTER VI.

But Crawford had not a miser's nature. His house, his name, his
children were dearer, after all, to him than gold. Hope springs
eternal in the breast; in a little while he had provided himself with
a new motive: he would marry Helen to young Farquharson, and endow her
so royally that Farquharson would gladly take her name. There should
be another house of Crawford of which Helen should be the root.

Helen had been long accustomed to consider Hugh Farquharson as her
future husband. The young people, if not very eager lovers, were at
least very warm and loyal friends. They had been in no hurry to finish
the arrangement. Farquharson was in the Scot's Greys; it was
understood that at his marriage he should resign his commission, so,
though he greatly admired Helen, he was in no hurry to leave the
delights of metropolitan and military life.

But suddenly Crawford became urgent