acious!" said Macleod, waking up, "what is all this about?"

"Rob Roy," observed the major, oracularly, "was a healthy man. I will
make you a bet he was not much troubled by chilblains."

"Stuart," Macleod cried, "do you want to drive me mad? What on earth are
you talking about?"

"Anything," the major confessed, frankly, "to rouse you out of your
monomania, because I don't want to have my throat cut by a lunatic some
night up at Castle Dare."

"Castle Dare," repeated Macleod, gloomily. "I think I shall scarcely
know the place again; and we have been away about a fortnight!"

No sooner had they got down to the landing-step on the Lambeth side of
the river than they were descried from the deck of the beautiful little
steamer, and a boat was sent ashore for them. Colonel Ross was standing
by the tiny gangway to receive them. They got on board, and passed into
the glass-surrounded saloon. There certainly was something odd in the
notion of being anchored in the middle of the great city--absolutely cut
off from it, and enclosed in a miniature floating world, the very sound
of it hushed and remote. And, indeed, on this strange morning the big
town looked more dream-like than usual as they regarded it from the
windows of this saloon--the buildings opal-like in the pale fog, a dusky
glitter on the high towers of the Houses of Parliament, and some touches
of rose red on the ripples of the yellow water around them.

Right over there was the very spot to which he had idly wandered in the
clear dawn to have a look at the peacefully flowing stream. How long
ago? It seemed to him, looking back, somehow the morning of
life--shining clear and beautiful, before any sombre anxieties and joys
scarcely less painful had come to cloud the fair sky. He thought of
himself at that time with a sort of wonder. He saw himself standing
there, glad to watch the pale and glowing glory of the dawn, careless as
to what the day might bring forth; and he knew that it was another and
an irrecoverable Macleod he was mentally regarding.

Well, when his friend Ogilvie arrived, he endeavored to assume some
greater spirit and cheerfulness, and they had a pleasant enough luncheon
party in the gently moving saloon. Thereafter Colonel Ross was for
getting up steam and taking them for a run somewhere; but at this point
Macleod begged to be excused for running away; and so, having consigned
Major Stuart to the care of his host for the moment, and having bade