given place to
an air of somewhat contemptuous amusement.

My family pride took fire at his words. "The gulf may be less than you
imagine," I said coldly. "We are not clodhoppers because we live in this
out-of-the-way place. I am of noble descent on one side, and my mother
was a Buchan of Buchan, I assure you that there is no such disparity
between us as you seem to imagine."

"You misunderstand me," the general answered. "It is on our side that
the disparity lies. There are reasons why my daughter Gabriel should
live and die single. It would not be to your advantage to marry her."

"But surely, sir," I persisted, "I am the best judge of my own interests
and advantages. Since you take this ground all becomes easy, for I do
assure you that the one interest which overrides all others is that I
should have the woman I love for my wife. If this is your only objection
to our match you may surely give us your consent, for any danger or
trial which I may incur in marrying Gabriel will not weigh with me one
featherweight."

"Here's a young bantam!" exclaimed the old soldier, smiling at my
warmth. "It's easy to defy danger when you don't know what the danger
is."

"What is it, then?" I asked, hotly. "There is no earthly peril which
will drive me from Gabriel's side. Let me know what it is and test me."

"No, no. That would never do," he answered with a sigh, and then,
thoughtfully, as if speaking his mind aloud: "He has plenty of pluck and
is a well-grown lad, too. We might do worse than make use of him."

He went on mumbling to himself with a vacant stare in his eyes as if he
had forgotten my presence.

"Look here, West," he said presently. "You'll excuse me if I spoke
hastily a little time ago. It is the second time that I have had
occasion to apologise to you for the same offence. It shan't occur
again. I am rather over-particular, no doubt, in my desire for complete
isolation, but I have good reasons for insisting on the point. Rightly
or wrongly, I have got it into my head that some day there might be an
organised raid upon my grounds. If anything of the sort should occur I
suppose I might reckon upon your assistance?"

"With all my heart."

"So that if ever you got a message such as 'Come up,' or even
'Cloomber,' you would know that it was an appeal for help, and would
hurry up immediately, even if it were in the dead of the night?"

"Most certainly I should," I answered. "But might I ask you what the
nature