t was a breathless moment when at last the great castle doors swung
open, revealing a group of people standing in the entrance. There was
an instant's pause, and then a tall strong-looking woman stepped
forward upon the terrace, with her hand resting lightly on the
shoulder of a sturdy black-haired boy nearly as tall as herself. The
boy was dressed in kilts, with the Campbell plaid flung over his
shoulder and a spray of evergreen pine nodding gayly from his
Glengarry bonnet.

"Michty me! It's Alan!" exclaimed Jock, so stunned by surprise
that his knees nearly gave way under him, while Jean, her eyes
shining like stars, clutched her father's hand, too stunned to
realize at first that Alan and the new Laird of Glen Cairn were
one and the same person. In fact, nobody realized it at once, for
many of the tenants had come to know and like Alan during the
summer, simply as "the boy who was staying with Eppie McLean."

They were still gazing at the castle door and wondering why the
"puny wee laddie, who was not long for this world" did not
appear, when the gracious lady, who still stood with her hand
resting proudly on Alan's shoulder, began to speak.

"Many of you already know the new Laird of Glen Cairn as Alan
McCrae," she said, smiling kindly down into their blank upturned
faces. "He has been among you all summer and has learned to love
our Highland country without dreaming that he himself would one
day inherit this beautiful estate. He is next of kin to the Auld
Laird, though not a near relative, and had no idea that I had any
purpose beyond the improvement of his health in sending him here
for the summer. I knew that which he did not, that he was likely
soon to be called to take the Auld Laird's place here, and I
wanted him to know you first, not as tenants, but as friends
merely. He has come to love this region for its own sake, and
comes among you like a true Scotchman, meaning to make this his
home and the interests of this community his own interests. He is
not yet of age, as you see, but his purposes and plans are
clearly formed, and I will leave him to explain them to you
himself."

She stopped speaking, and the people, overwhelmed with surprise
and joy, burst into a hearty and prolonged cheer, as Alan stepped
forward to make his speech. He was only a boy, and a very much
embarrassed one at that, but he knew what he wanted to say and he
got to the point at once.

"I just want you to know," he said, "that no