ds, fearing to hurt the religious sentiments of the Highland
servants by playing ping-pong on Sunday in the hall, she instructed him
elsewhere, and clandestinely, in that pastime till the hour of tea
arrived.

Merton did not appear at the tea-table. Tired of this Castle of
Indolence, loathing Blake, afraid of more talk with Lady Bude, eating his
own heart, he had started alone after luncheon for a long walk round the
loch. The day had darkened, and was deadly still; the water was like a
mirror of leaden hue; the air heavy and sulphurous.

These atmospheric phenomena did not gladden the heart of Merton. He knew
that rain was coming, but he would not be with _her_ by the foaming
stream, or on the black waves of the loch. Climbing to the top of the
hill, he felt sure that a storm was at hand. On the east, far away,
Clibrig, and Suilvean of the double peak, and the round top of Ben More,
stood shadowy above the plain against the lurid light. Over the sea hung
'the ragged rims of thunder' far away, veiling in thin shadow the
outermost isles, whose mountain crests looked dark as indigo. A few hot
heavy drops of rain were falling as Merton began to descend. He was
soaked to the skin when he reached the door of the observatory, and
rushed up stairs to dress for dinner. A covered way led from the
observatory to the Castle, so that he did not get drenched again on his
return, which he accomplished punctually as the gong for dinner sounded.

In the drawing-room were the Budes, and Mr. Macrae was nervously pacing
the length and breadth of the room.

'They must have taken refuge from the rain somewhere,' Lady Bude was
saying, and 'they' were obviously Blake and the daughter of the house.
Where were they? Merton's heart sank with a foolish foreboding.

'I know,' the lady went on, 'that they were only going down to the
cove--where you and I were yesterday evening, Mr. Merton. It is no
distance.'

'A mile and a half is a good deal in this weather, said Merton, 'and
there is no cottage on this side of the sea loch. But they must have
taken shelter,' he added; he must not seem anxious.

At this moment came a flash of lightning, followed by a crack like that
of a cosmic whip-lash, and a long reverberating roar of thunder.

'It is most foolish to have stayed out so late,' said Mr. Macrae. 'Any
one could see that a storm was coming. I told them so, I am really
annoyed.'

Every one was silent, the rain fell straight a