THE HOUSEHOLD OF McNEIL.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5920, 27 August 1890, Page 4

THE HOUSEHOLD OF McNEIL.

[Rr AMELIA E. BARK.J

CHAPTER I. TIIK FAMILY OF 3ICNKIL. Tiito had been a glorious sunset, rod and radiant, floating and "flaming above the pale, grey sen, r.nd tho pale, irrer rocks, and the chirk Mauds low-lviusr'aniid the waste of waters. But as 'it f..ded away the eort'« sense of the northern night with all its mysteries camo over the "lonely land, and touched the hearts of the two men who were slowly crossing tho Soraba beach—a firm cxpnnse of tho billowy sand, ribbed nud water-lined, and which was at. this point the, " thus far,'' boundary of the gtonnv Sound of Jura.

Tiny h.'ul been talking with much earnestness, but as the shadows grow darker, they spoke in lower tones, and at longer intervals : the pauses being fitly filled by tho boom of tbe muffled billows," or the cries of the watchful sea-birds—shrill, unknown, secret erics, lending a weirder meaning to the silence.

They were both noticeable men, aud both men of authority in their own sphere. One wore -he sombre dress of a Prosbyterian mir.istc-r ; the other, a (handsome suit of dark-' :nvn broadcloth, with a tartan plaid over his shoulders and a bonnet tipped with an eagle's feather on his bend. Tho latier was Archibald McNeil. Laird of Edderleeh and Otterdalo: and his companion was Dugald Brodick, minister in Edderloch, the terror of evil-doers, the frioud and helper of all who did well.

As they came nearer to the castlo of McNeil, they had to pass through a fishiug hamlet. Tho men, in v staid, slow, noiseless manner, were movinc toward the boats ; the women, standing in the lone doors, watching them with a long, serious gaze-

"The pea is a bar.l taskmaster, Laird. It eanns rest itself, and it gives no rest to those who tret their bread on it."

'•Just so, Doctor: but the unrest and tho snlt favor creep into the blood of all who livv near by it. And I'm thinking, too, there is in ;ill men a mitural yeurnintr for the sea. Ono a year, at lo'ist, folk want to iret a sij;ht of it ; ay, and them that, never saw it have had very clear noti,'-:i- auent it. I'm thsnkimr now of Shak-,;H-;ire." ••Well:" "Well:- Who knew it bettorr And yet. unless it was in his droutns, wh'.'ti did he cvi-r s,'e ir :" " Lnird, I'll answer you in the words of a v«n- v.-i-e man : — Tin,!; v.,:i. ■■nM ..11 lid- mi-.-hlv sum ('.f:li!--.'-f,.i-ev,.|-M)--a--!mr, Tiert M-.- :.i:,:r ■ f i'seu .■ ill .-ecu-. i.-ai we n.:;s: .- r: JI !-,- re, [;■>■■_.:? Be.-i !■-, man. (Ind Almighty yet gives to gene- el' us tbe power nf vision, the faculty divie,. that was doubt' -s lost for tbe main part vi the abys-. ot the Fall. In I'll atres. uie*i have .-e-en ;l;--sea who never set mortal eyes ~;. it, "Where won d that auld Arabia:-. J,,},, _vt a -iirht of Mich mmmUni ,us billows as com'- down Jura Sound: Or Davi.l'; Or tbe herdsman of Tekoa : Or Jer,.-ii;-:,-,b : Or ilubakkuk.- Or any of ' th"se Hebrew prophets and p.iets and preaei, r-: They never ■. -aw the Atlantic com" t; iii'dcrinar down these narrow waterways : bet they had a wonderful clear Vision :>.- to bow it does it." " You have made out your r.a s i\ Doctor, and here we are at th" door-.-tono : will you conic in ':" "Ni : we liave talked enough for one i night." He turned away with th- words ; am! McNeil .-,!;.,.,1 a iii-mient watchiusr him dese-.ud thy litt'e acclivity on which th" castie ,-t.iod. It wa- not an imposim; building though dignified with the name of '' ea-f!e :" but its ru.hr Mreirsith and .square, niHsstv... ni'i-onry redeemed it from all" suspicion ~f meanness. And it had also tho air of an tiv.siquity : it looked oil, just as an old man has the look of bi.s fourscore years. 'J he door stood open, and almost involuntary, as V. '--Neil entered, his eyes sought, the quaint stone letters above it. They always did so ; it was a habit which had become a kind of superstition with him : though usually he nt.'aehed no importance to t!n> declaration which his forefather had put there : "a.d. IK I *. I, man, have tho end of all wisdom. I trust iv God." Hitherto the words had never roused a dissent in his mind. They had seemed to him truthful as words could be. For the first time he felt tho chill of somo mental antagonism. It was undoubtedly well to trust in God, but was there not rdso some active and positive thing for him to dor The stir mid movement of his century had found him out iv the green desert where bis ancestors had lived una just let their days come to them.

He had always been a careful and in many ways a very prudent and fortunate man. lie had tho auriferous touch : alibis ventures had ended in gold ; and Dr. Brodick had been telling him that night that he was already rich enough, and that the carrying out of certain new plans which he had formed would be apt to bind him to the constant service of Mammon.

lie walked through the wide stone hall with a questioning look. I hough it was midsummer, there was it bright fire at the upper end, and a large chair, soft with deer-skins, stood before it. Every night iv this cavernous entry the lire was pleasant ; this nil/lit the chill mist driven up from the sea made it doubly so; but NeNcil did not accept the mute invitation of the comfortable chair. ll<* went, into a little room diverging from the hull, lighted the candles iv a silver n.-oiice, and took from his lucked desk a book, which ho began to rend with profound inteiest.

It was a stoutly bound book, secured by a brn-s lock, and was hi manuscript. In fact, it was bis private it direr. It kept tho sum of his gains and the total of his bank account. Its contents seemed to give him imii.ii solid sati-faetioa ; and wheu at leni/fh he re-locked the volume, and replaced it iv his desk, it was with all the careful respect which he considered due to the representative of so many thousand pounds:

His mood was now placid and inclined to retrospection. Thoughtfully fingering the key which lacked up tie-record of his wealth, he walked to the window, drew apart tbe heavy eu.-tains, and looked keenly into the night. A pale, watery moon was reflected iv the s-'ti le-neath it ; and between lights the fishing bats moved rc-th-ssly to and fro. Tiie mountains und moors hiul now u< beauty ot' color: they looked desolate and dreusy : but the hire, barren land, and tiegray, niouniful sea, were fair fair in M.cJi'iol's sight. It was the country of the Me.Veils. "lie had il fixed idea' that, it al'.vav-. had been their country ; and when he t.,"ld himself, as lie di.l at that hour, that so many acres of old Scotland were actually his own, ho was aggressively a Seotehiuan. '■ it is a bonnio lit of land," he mutter,.,! : "and 1 have done as my lather, Laird Ale.xmder, told me to do." If we should meet in another world, I'll be able to give bin. v. good account of Eddcrloeh aud Ol*o-nia!o. "l'hirty years ago, this \ cry night, he gave mo the ring oil his finger, una said : ' Archibald. i am going the way "f ail jl--~j|. B, ; ;l o-,,,,,] man, and grip tight.' i have done as be told me. There are tJSO.i.oO j„ the Bank of Scotland, and every mortgage is lifted. I am nure he vouM i,-e plea-ed with me this hour, and, indeed, 1 am very well pleased with myself. Th'-l'e is num.' e-ui „ it y ;,ut X have been ft good holder oi Edderloch and Oileidalo. iiis.-e;/-coHiplaeent reti..-etio:i:i were cut .-■hojt by ihe entrance of id- eldest, il ingbter, 1.7 :en : and he diopp"! :he curtail! together, and turned his i'.-a.-e toward her. In licit moiiK-nt .'.ouu.-thiu:.' liner came ii.trj it : I'eiirm, s-piare hv.vt. r jr-irt broke tiji into lite-- that almost s;:gge-Te<l smiles, and the -ye.- -dated idudly at her. '" sfeli.n, mv bird I 1 almost missed you, 17.■:••!!. it Ihail not had a few very ■/rave th uuhis for company, I should have been i'l-Ynj ym er-- this. What is that paper iv your hand ':" "Iti- a letter from Colin. I also have ha ' ot:< . M " Whatever m.-ws has the lad to ueed two letters at one post ';'' "' Only good news, father." ITO UJ-: G'ONXINUKD.'j