ng you swore to one mad day in the
West as well as any man that ever lived--'to have and to hold, to love
and to cherish from this day forth till death us do part, Amen.'"

Richard's voice was low and full of a strange, searching something.

Frank, wondering at this great affection and fondness of his brother,
looked him in the eyes warmly, solemnly, and replied: "For richer or for
poorer, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health--so help me
God, and her kindness and forgiveness!"

CHAPTER XII. "THE CHASE OF THE YELLOW SWAN"

Frank and Lali did not meet until dinner was announced. The conversation
at dinner was mainly upon the return to Greyhope, which was fixed for
the following morning, and it was deftly kept gay and superficial by
Marion and Richard and Captain Vidall, until General Armour became
reminiscent, and held the interest of the table through a dozen little
incidents of camp and barrack life until the ladies rose. There had been
an engagement for late in the evening, but it had been given up
because of Frank's home-coming, and there was to be a family gathering
merely--for Captain Vidall was now as much one of the family as Frank or
Richard, by virtue of his approaching marriage with Marion. The men left
alone, General Armour questioned Frank freely about life in the Hudson's
Bay country, and the conversation ran on idly till it was time to join
the ladies.

When they reached the drawing-room, Marion was seated at the piano,
playing a rhapsody of Raff's, and Mrs. Armour and Lali were seated
side by side. Frank thrilled at seeing his wife's hand in his mother's.
Marion nodded over the piano at the men, and presently played a snatch
of Carmen, then wandered off into the barbaric strength of Tannhauser,
and as suddenly again into the ballet music of Faust.

"Why so wilful, my girl?" asked her father, who had a keen taste for
music. "Why this tangle? Let us have something definite."

Marion sprang up from the piano. "I can't. I'm not definite myself
to-night." Then, turning to Lali: "Lali dear, sing something--do! Sing
my favourite, 'The Chase of the Yellow Swan.'"

This was a song which in the later days at Greyhope, Lali had sung
for Marion, first in her own language, with the few notes of an Indian
chant, and afterwards, by the help of the celebrated musician who had
taught her both music and singing, both of which she had learned but
slowly, it was translated and set to music. Lali lo