began to keep the house like my lord. All this while, you may be

very sure, he uttered no complaints at home; the very ground of the

scandal was too sore a matter to be handled; and Mr. Henry was very

proud and strangely obstinate in silence. My old lord must have

heard of it, by John Paul, if by no one else; and he must at least

have remarked the altered habits of his son. Yet even he, it is

probable, knew not how high the feeling ran; and as for Miss

Alison, she was ever the last person to hear news, and the least

interested when she heard them.

In the height of the ill-feeling (for it died away as it came, no

man could say why) there was an election forward in the town of St.

Bride's, which is the next to Durrisdeer, standing on the Water of

Swift; some grievance was fermenting, I forget what, if ever I

heard; and it was currently said there would be broken heads ere

night, and that the sheriff had sent as far as Dumfries for

soldiers. My lord moved that Mr. Henry should be present, assuring

him it was necessary to appear, for the credit of the house. "It

will soon be reported," said he, "that we do not take the lead in

our own country."

"It is a strange lead that I can take," said Mr. Henry; and when

they had pushed him further, "I tell you the plain truth," he said,

"I dare not show my face."

"You are the first of the house that ever said so," cries Miss

Alison.

"We will go all three," said my lord; and sure enough he got into

his boots (the first time in four years - a sore business John Paul

had to get them on), and Miss Alison into her riding-coat, and all

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