hough it seems a pity to part with a gift of mine, when
the sum is a mere nothing to me, with my large income, which, Helen,
will one day be all yours."

Helen was silent--a little sorry and ashamed. The earl talked with
her till he had succeeded in calming her and bringing her into her
natural self again--able to see things in their right proportions,
and take just views of all.

"Then you will trust me?" she said at last. "You think I may be depended
upon to do nothing rashly when I go to Edinburg to-morrow?"

"My dear, I have no intention of letting you go."

"But some one must go. Something must be done, and I can not trust
Alick to do it. My brother does not understand my boy," said she,
returning to her restless, helpless manner. She, the helpful Helen,
only weak in this one point--her only son.

"Something has been done. I have already sent for Cardross. He will
be at the Castle to-morrow."

Helen started.

"At the Castle, I said, not the Manse. No, Helen, you shall not be
compromised; you may be as severe as you like with your son. But he is
my son too"--and a faint shade of color passed over the earl's
withered cheeks--"my adopted son, and it is time that he should know
it."

"Do you mean to tell him--"

"I mean to tell him all my intentions concerning him."

"What! now?"

"Yes, now. It is the safest and most direct course, both for him, for
you, and for me. I have been thinking over the matter all day, and can
come to no other conclusion. Even for myself--if I may speak of
myself--it is best. I do not wish to encroach upon his mother's
rights--it is not likely I should," added the earl, with a somewhat
sad smile; "still, it is hard that during the years, few or many, that I
have to live, I, a childless man, should not enjoy a little of the
comfort of a son."

Helen sat silent with averted face. It was all quite true, and yet--

"I will tell you, to make all clear, the position I wish Cardross to
hold with regard to me--shall I?"

Mrs. Bruce assented.

"Into his mother's place he can never step; I do not desire it. You
must still be, as you have always been, and I shall now publicly give
out the fact, my immediate successor; and, except for a stated
allowance, to be doubled when he marries, which I hope he will, and
early, Cardross must still be dependent upon his mother during her
lifetime. Afterward he inherits all. But there is one thing," he
continued, seeing that Hele