have no right to
expect one, and so you keep what is not yours. This sin also for the
woman whom you have put before every sentiment of love and honor."

"You were stubborn enough about Steve Latrigg."

"I was honorable; I was considerate for father, and did not put Stephen
before him. Do you think I would ever marry Stephen against father's
wish, or to the injury or suffering of any one whom I love? Certainly I
would marry no one else, but I gave father my word that I would wait for
his sanction. When people do right, things come right for them. But if
father had stood out twenty years, Steve and I would have waited. Ducie
gave us the same advice. 'Wait, children,' she said: 'I have seen many a
wilful match, and many a run-away match, but never one, never one that
prospered.'"

"Charley, I expected you to stand by me. I expected you to help me."

"O Harry, Harry! How can I help? What can I do? There is nothing left
but to suffer."

"There is this: plead for me when I am away. My wife is sick in
Florence. I must go to her at once. The money I have from my commission
is all I have. I am going to invest it in a little house and vineyard. I
have found out that my real tastes are for a pastoral life."

"Ah, if you could only have found that out for father!"

"Circumstances may change."

"That is, your father may die. I suppose you and your wife have talked
over that probability. Beatrice will be able to endure the climate
then."

"If I did not see that you were under very strong excitement, Charlotte,
I should be much offended by what you say. But you don't mean to hurt
me. Do you imagine that I feel no sorrow in leaving father and my mother
and you and the old home? My heart is very sad to-night, Charley. I feel
that I shall come here no more."

"Then why go away? Why, why?"

"Because a man leaves father and mother and every thing for the woman he
loves. Charley, help me."

She shook her head sadly.

"Help me to break the trouble to father."

"There is no 'breaking' it. It will break him. It will kill him. Alas,
it is the ungrateful child that has the power to inflict a slow and
torturing death! Poor father! Poor mother! And it is I that must witness
it. I, that would die to save them from such undeserved sorrow."

Then Harry rose up angrily, pushed his chair impatiently away, and
without a word went to his own room.

In the morning the squire came down to breakfast in exceedingly high
spirits. A Scot