y, whom I love better than
I love myself. In anger I might say the same thing to her that I said to
you, but--Nonsense, Malcolm, don't be a fool. Come home with us. Haddon is
your home as freely as it is the home of Dorothy, Madge, and myself."

The old gentleman's voice trembled, and I could not withstand the double
force of his kindness and my desire. So it came about that when Madge held
out her fair hand appealingly to me, and when Dorothy said, "Please come
home with us, Cousin Malcolm," I offered my hand to Sir George, and with
feeling said, "Let us make this promise to each other: that nothing
hereafter shall come between us."

"I gladly promise," responded the generous, impulsive old man. "Dorothy,
Madge, and you are all in this world whom I love. Nothing shall make
trouble between us. Whatever happens, we will each forgive."

The old gentleman was in his kindest, softest mood.

"Let us remember the words," said I.

"I give my hand and my word upon it," cried Sir George.

How easy it is to stake the future upon a present impulse. But when the
time for reckoning comes,--when the future becomes the present,--it is
sometimes hard to pay the priceless present for the squandered past. Next
morning we all rode home to Haddon,--how sweet the words sound even at
this distance of time!--and there was rejoicing in the Hall as if the
prodigal had returned.

In the evening I came upon Madge unawares. She was softly singing a
plaintive little love song. I did not disturb her, and as I stole away
again I said to myself, "God is good." A realization of that great truth
had of late been growing upon me. When once we thoroughly learn it, life
takes on a different color.

CHAPTER VII

TRIBULATION IN HADDON

After I had left Haddon at Sir George's tempestuous order, he had remained
in a state of furious anger against Dorothy and myself for a fortnight or
more. But after her adroit conversation with him concerning the Stanley
marriage, wherein she neither promised nor refused, and after she learned
that she could more easily cajole her father than command him, Dorothy
easily ensconced herself again in his warm heart, and took me into that
capacious abode along with her.

Then came the trip to Derby, whereby his serene Lordship, James Stanley,
had been enabled to see Dorothy and to fall in love with her winsome
beauty, and whereby I was brought back to Haddon. Thereafter came events
crowding so rapidly one upon