e done very well. As things
are, don't you think it will be more convenient to every body if I
relieve you of the responsibility of entertaining your guests?"

"As head of the family?" stipulated Lady Lundie.

"As head of the family!" answered Sir Patrick.

"I gratefully accept the proposal," said Lady Lundie.

"I beg you won't mention it," rejoined Sir Patrick.

He quitted the room, leaving Jonathan under examination. He and his
brother (the late Sir Thomas) had chosen widely different paths in life,
and had seen but little of each other since the time when they had been
boys. Sir Patrick's recollections (on leaving Lady Lundie) appeared
to have taken him back to that time, and to have inspired him with a
certain tenderness for his brother's memory. He shook his head, and
sighed a sad little sigh. "Poor Tom!" he said to himself, softly, after
he had shut the door on his brother's widow. "Poor Tom!"

On crossing the hall, he stopped the first servant he met, to inquire
after Blanche. Miss Blanche was quiet, up stairs, closeted with her maid
in her own room. "Quiet?" thought Sir Patrick. "That's a bad sign. I
shall hear more of my niece."

Pending that event, the next thing to do was to find the guests.
Unerring instinct led Sir Patrick to the billiard-room. There he found
them, in solemn conclave assembled, wondering what they had better do.
Sir Patrick put them all at their ease in two minutes.

"What do you say to a day's shooting to-morrow?" he asked.

Every man present--sportsman or not--said yes.

"You can start from this house," pursued Sir Patrick; "or you can start
from a shooting-cottage which is on the Windygates property--among the
woods, on the other side of the moor. The weather looks pretty well
settled (for Scotland), and there are plenty of horses in the stables.
It is useless to conceal from you, gentlemen, that events have taken a
certain unexpected turn in my sister-in-law's family circle. You will
be equally Lady Lundie's guests, whether you choose the cottage or the
house. For the next twenty-four hours (let us say)--which shall it be?"

Every body--with or without rheumatism--answered "the cottage."

"Very good," pursued Sir Patrick, "It is arranged to ride over to the
shooting-cottage this evening, and to try the moor, on that side, the
first thing in the morning. If events here will allow me, I shall be
delighted to accompany you, and do the honors as well as I can. If not,
I am sure