tain estates that were for sale there; for the duchess said
that, in the matter of choosing a home to live in, she would trust no
eyes but her own.

It seemed, however, that neither of the seats in the market pleased the
lady, and she had given up her quest in despair, when the duke suggested
that, before leaving Scotland, they should make a visit to the famous
historical ruins of Lone Castle, in Lone, on Lone Lake, which had been in
the Scott-Hereward family for eight centuries.

It was while they were tarrying at the little hotel of the "Hereward
Arms," and making daily excursions in a boat across the lake to the isle
and to the ruins, that the stupendous idea of restoring the castle
occurred to the duke's mind--and not only restoring it as it had stood
centuries before, a great, impregnable Highland fortress, but by bringing
all the architectural and engineering art and skill of the nineteenth
century to bear upon the subject, transforming the ruined castle and
rocky isle and mountain-bound lake into the earthly paradise and
century's wonder it afterwards became.

What vast means were used, what fortunes were sacrificed, what treasures
were drawn into the maelstrom of this mad enterprise, has already been
shown.

It is probable, however, that the duke would not have thrown himself so
insanely into this work had it not seemed a means of escaping the torture
of his own thoughts.

He could restore the old Highland stronghold, and transform the barren,
water-girt rock into a garden of Eden; but he could not restore the
rights of his own disinherited son.

He had consulted some among the most eminent lawyers in England, putting
the case suppositiously, or as the case of another father and son, and
the unanimous opinion given was that there could be no help for such a
case as theirs; and even though the father had had no other heir, he
could not reclaim this disinherited one.

It was not with unmingled regret that the duke heard this opinion given.
It certainly relieved him from the fearful duty of having to oppose the
duchess and all her family, as he would have been obliged to do, had it
been possible to restore his eldest son to his rights; for the duchess
would not have stood by quietly and seen her son set aside in favor of
the elder brother.

The duke spoke of his ward from time to time, so that in case the duchess
should ever meet him, or hear of him from others, she could not regard
him as a mystery that