to love;
The passion held me fixed as fate,
Burned in my veins early and late,
But now a wind falls from above--
The wind of death, that silently
Enshroudeth friend and enemy.
--ETHELWYN WETHERALD.

To Scotty the days following upon the Orangemen's defeat were filled
with misery. Even when he spent the time at Kirsty's, fishing in the
streams or racing in the woods with Isabel, he could never quite forget
that there was trouble in the lately happy home beneath the Silver
Maple. For Granny's face was full of pain and anxiety, though she was
so brave and patient; and Grandaddy walked the floor at nights or
tramped up and down beneath the stars, and Callum was silent and gloomy.

Scotty did not understand just how much reason Callum had for gloom.
That young man had to contend with foes both at home and abroad. Tom
Caldwell had lost no time, upon his return home the
never-to-be-forgotten night of the Orangemen's downfall, in making very
clear to his daughter his views upon the burning MacDonald question.
Nancy had responded, with her usual spirit, by declaring that, when the
day arrived, she would marry Callum Fiach if the heavens fell. The
father understood his daughter's spirit and took no risk; the Caldwell
homestead was guarded by armed men in quite a mediaeval fashion; Nancy
was kept in strict seclusion and a cordial invitation was sent to
Callum to come on the wedding day with all the MacDonalds he could
muster and take his bride.

Callum would have gladly accepted the challenge had there been any hope
of assistance. But when Big Malcolm returned from the glorious defeat
of the Orangemen, his spirit still aflame, the sight of his son, who
had taken no part in their triumph, stirred him to fierce resentment.

"Callum!" he cried sternly, "I will be hearing no more about you and
any o' yon low Eerish crew. It is not for my son to be disgracing the
MacDonalds after this day's work!"

Callum's face went suddenly white and he rose from the table. "If you
mean Nancy Caldwell," he cried, "let me be telling you that I'll marry
her if she was the daughter o' the Deil, himself!"

Big Malcolm rose to his feet also, and the two men faced each other
fiercely. "The day ye marry any kin to that son o' Belial, Callum
MacDonald," he roared, shaking his fist in his son's face, "you will be
no more a son of mine!"

Callum laughed harshly, and flung out of doors. Scotty's big heart
swelled to bur