vered it with much facetious mystery. He noticed that it seemed to
contain a message of some importance, and that she failed to laugh at
all when he offered waggishly to put "him" up for the night. But she
simply put it in her pocket and volunteered no explanation. He went
away feeling that he had wasted a happy quip.

After lunch Mrs Craigie and the girls were going out in the car, and
Miss Holland was to have accompanied them. It was then that she made
her only reference to the telegram. She had got a wire, she said, and
had a long letter to write, and so begged to be excused. Accordingly
the car went off without her.

Not five minutes later Mr Craigie was smoking a pipe and trying to
summon up energy to go for a stroll, when Miss Holland entered the
smoking-room. He noticed that she had never looked so smiling and
charming.

"Oh, Mr Craigie," she said, "I want you to help me. I'm preparing a
little surprise!"

"For the girls?"

"For all of you!"

The laird loved a practical jest, and scented happiness at once.

"I'm your man!" said he. "What can I do for you?"

"I'll come down again in half an hour," said she. "And then I want you
to help me to carry something."

She gave him a swift bewitching smile that left him entirely helpless,
and hurried from the room.

Mr Craigie looked at the clock and decided that he would get his stroll
into the half-hour, so he took his stick and sauntered down the drive.
On one side of this drive was a line of huddled wind-bent trees, and at
the end was a gate opening on the highroad, with the sea close at hand.
Just as he got to the gate a stranger appeared upon the road, walking
very slowly, and up to that moment concealed by the trees. He was a
clergyman, tall, clean-shaved, and with what the laird afterwards
described as a "hawky kind of look."

There was no haughtiness whatever about the laird of Breck. He
accosted every one he met, and always in the friendliest way.

"A fine day!" said he heartily. "Grand weather for the crops, if we
could just get a wee bit more of rain soon."

The clergyman stopped.

"Yes, sir," said he, "it is fine weather."

His manner was polite, but not very hearty, the laird thought.
However, he was not easily damped, and proceeded to contribute several
more observations, chiefly regarding the weather prospects, and tending
to become rapidly humorous. And then he remembered his appointment in
the smoking-room.

"Well," sai