t in that family of three, and it
was the husband who was shut out. It seems it was an old custom when the
family were alone in Durrisdeer, that my lord should take his wine to
the chimney-side, and Miss Alison, instead of withdrawing, should bring
a stool to his knee, and chatter to him privately; and after she had
become my patron's wife the same manner of doing was continued. It
should have been pleasant to behold this ancient gentleman so loving
with his daughter, but I was too much a partisan of Mr. Henry's to be
anything but wroth at his exclusion. Many's the time I have seen him
make an obvious resolve, quit the table, and go and join himself to his
wife and my Lord Durrisdeer; and on their part, they were never backward
to make him welcome, turned to him smilingly as to an intruding child,
and took him into their talk with an effort so ill-concealed that he was
soon back again beside me at the table, whence (so great is the hall of
Durrisdeer) we could but hear the murmur of voices at the chimney. There
he would sit and watch, and I along with him; and sometimes by my lord's
head sorrowfully shaken, or his hand laid on Mrs. Henry's head, or hers
upon his knee as if in consolation, or sometimes by an exchange of
tearful looks, we would draw our conclusion that the talk had gone to
the old subject and the shadow of the dead was in the hall.

I have hours when I blame Mr. Henry for taking all too patiently; yet we
are to remember he was married in pity, and accepted his wife upon that
term. And, indeed, he had small encouragement to make a stand. Once, I
remember, he announced he had found a man to replace the pane of the
stained window, which, as it was he that managed all the business, was a
thing clearly within his attributions. But to the Master's fanciers that
pane was like a relic; and on the first word of any change the blood
flew to Mrs. Henry's face.

"I wonder at you!" she cried.

"I wonder at myself," says Mr. Henry, with more of bitterness than I had
ever heard him to express.

Thereupon my old lord stepped in with his smooth talk, so that before
the meal was at an end all seemed forgotten; only that, after dinner,
when the pair had withdrawn as usual to the chimney-side, we could see
her weeping with her head upon his knee. Mr. Henry kept up the talk with
me upon some topic of the estates--he could speak of little else but
business, and was never the best of company; but he kept it up that day
with