THE HOUSEHOLD OF McNEIL.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5940, 19 September 1890, Page 4

THE HOUSEHOLD OF McNEIL.

[BY AMELIA E. E-VRR.J CHAPTER V. gbi:-:j__da's siabbiag-e. Tho j.mrney home was most unhappy. The laird did not speak to his refractory daughter, and she did not appear to regret a circumstance which gave her opportunity of feeding her heart upon her own thoughts and dreams The weather was stormy, the roads heavy aud disagreeable, and no one, except Gri/.lda, bad auy equivalent for the altogether wretched and useless journey. To her it had proved her lover's faithfulness. She felt all the triumph of the pursuit, and she found a sufficient pleasure in affecting sleep, uud mentally reviewing tho fond words be bad said and the delightful plans of tho future which they had imagined.

But at length tho wearisome trial was over. McNcif crossed bis doorstone again, aud looked up at the declaration a*>ove it with a heart full of gratitude. Tbe old rooms wero glowing with firelight, and bright with every kind of comfort. Colin was at hand, full of joy and congratulation ; tho servants were eager for a word from him : the shepherds, the fishers, the village ehiliren, all tried to make him understand how welcome to his own home and to his own people he was. And it was very pleasant to sco Helen's delight also, to watch her going through tho rooms and ordering the table anc: rearranging their lives. "Coiiu followed her up and down, and was restless if tho laird detained him. He had discovered in her absence bow lonely his heart, bow desolate his home was" without her. Ho felt that a passive admiration would no longer suffice ;* and he had met her with words that sent v wave of color over her oheeks and filled her eyes with a now and sudden light. The laird noticed very soon how constantly Colin was at her side, how readily his voice fell into softer tones when he spoke to her, how fr-ciuon-ly he found opportunities of bending his dark, handsome head until he could almost have kissed the paler glory of her golden-brown hair._ _ It pleased and It pained him. Ho was willing to give Helen to Colin, but not yet—not -just yet—he kept saying to his heart. ' In tho evening Dr. Brodick called, and tho two men went together into the laird's parlor. "Well, old friend," said the minister. " have you brought good news with you ?" "It has been a most unlucky journey, Doctor. The man followed us. She has been meeting him secretly every day." "' Why did you give her any opportunity r"

" She said slie was sick. She lay upon tho sofa constantly, and it was not likely I could shut Heien up night and day with her. There are McNeils in Edinburgh, and other friends and kin, and we had to see them or give them an offence not to be pardoned in this generation. If tho girl was too sick to lime aud visit with her own people, how could I suspect sho would be walking about the streets with her lover?" " Man, you are not up to women-folk. I'm feared you did not take proper care of her."

"Did you ever try to guide a love-sick girl yourself, Doctor:' If you havo not, you know nothing about it. For perfect unreasonableness, for stlfi-hncss and deception they c-.u beat, the big devil himself. What will I do now f"

" I'll tell you, Laird. Deal openly with her. Don't" give her a chance to deceive you. Take away fr:>-n her overy excuse for indulging herself iv any romancing folly. Ask her if she is determine.i to marry Maxwell. If she fay- she is, let tlie man come here and see her. The best half of such love affairs as this is contradiction. If Maxwell means all he has said, give your permission to what will bo otherwise taken without your pennis-don. '"if course, Maxwell would rather you refused him : he would like you to order him from your presence, but I advisa v..v to disappoint him. For Grizuldti's sake, give him at lean a bare civility." _ , T << I cannot do it, D'dor ! I cannot . I cannot do it 1" " Think a bit, McNeil. Look at the veryworst side of tho man. He isua a murderer or a thief or an out-and-out blackguard, that wo know of. He is well born, be has au estate in Galloway beside Blairgowrie. He is made welcome at many a grand bouse, 'md rides and hunts with the best men in the neighborhood. And lib goes regularly to kirk, so that if he bo not good he is at least in the way of getting good." " If he be no: good ! Whon Kilmory's shepherd told liuii about bis dogs tearing the sheep on the mountains, he went off into a fit of outrageous laughter. When Greenlees rent him word, he cume 1 the mcs»i."i.';-er, and wi.-hed the d-.gs had torn the men to pieces as well as tho sheep ! He never attempted to restrain them until ray false datii'hter betrayed my threat, to him. The'manlias a brute.* nu'tur.-i ; I'm feared I am slandering flu- p:>or brutes, he is iiatur.illy cruel : h<- has a stone instead,of a

heart." " But if Ori-el.bi thinks differently, what

then." . , , , " If Griz-ld'i be determined to mako her bed in bell, and will neither listen to advice nor entreaties, .-he must even do so."

" Try. for her sake, to conquer your dislike of Maxwell, Laird."

" The feeling is beyond me, "Doctor. When I cm drink poison and it not harm me I can sit with Maxwell and not feel it to be an insult and an offence. The hatred of him is back of here. My soul is acquainted with his soul, and when my soul isays to me, ' The man is n villain,' I know be is one. 1 don't mind if he drank tin? holy cup every Sunday, I would know it all the same. You think this is pure prejudice, Doctor r" "True, McNeil; but what we call prejudice is often only a. veiled truth, subtly adapted to the nature that holds it: too fine, ton complicated, for. delicate for argument and definition; Have you told Grizelda of these impressions'-" "To be sure I have. Sho only smiled and said, it was a pi'y I bad so much of the melancholy, supei-.-'itiutts nature of the Celt in me. As if 'could have too much of the Celt in me '. She is set upon going her own bad way." "Well, then, McNeil, you must trust God to bring good out of bad. Neither of u» can do it, lor the rout of Grizelda's disobedience and folly is selfishness : and the rin of selfishness is ' the old serpent that doceivetb the whole world.' " "Ob! Doctor, I know how David felt when be cried out, ' It was thou, mine own familiar friend !' It is my child i Oh, Grizelda! Grizelda '." "Consider, Laird, it one heart has been faithless to voir, there are other hearts around yov full of valiant tendernesshearts that know li'.w to love. The earth might, quake, the heavens melt, you would still tiud them true. And though Grizelda's affection has been alienated from you, I do not t.eliere that any one will havo the power to destroy the grand principles of morality on which I have helped you to build up her lite. And mind this, Laird, the one real, intolerable household ruin is not that which separates but that which corrupts. If vice has not withered the soul of the child, ibe parents may still say ' Thank Go.-i '.' But I must away now, Laird, for I have a night-school to teach at eight o'clock; and the lad. and lasses would be sairly disappointed if I were not on band." j "A night-school! Sur.h perfect unn- I Pence ! Sehvyn's order, is it?" " Solwyn's order, if it pleases you call it

,i jf. ,],„. s nut- please me, Doctor ; audi dcn't think :=...vl»'>«iy will approve of the kirk beiu ' used for" the like of it. It is a kind of deseev.itioii—that is my opinion." " ! rem'relieved that feeling, L-iird, and ri-pe-'-ied it. The school is in ray am house ; Ki'stv ..- !."':,-iMg her head about it, but she will have to thole tho bairns uutii I. gel a schoolhouse oiiilt " " And where, will you get the siller for " I am not just destitute of siller myself ; and I am looking for help from divers, aud for land from yon." " I will not give you enough to set your feet together "on, Doctor, for such a pur"A.y, well, lam not asking you to-night. When you come to your best self, Laiid, we will speak about it. God be with you.'' Then he wrapped his plaid round his breast and left the castle. Ho was tossed and troubled in mind with the fretful worries ai.d perplexities that he shared with McNeil, and they chilled bis enthusiasm and made ill life's objects appear small and irritating. But ther.; is always something very iuioressive in passing from light and human ...i".|..ie! y into the dim spaces'of the r.i"!it. av.fi" im- .solemn company of tlie stars, and ere In /vach'd the man-,: and ih" duly he bn-': i;nr>'-iiu---.I there, lie, had quite >■(;- ---e-n-.tv-i r'i"it e'n-vatioij of spirit which mado j r . i,i:r . s.lv p'-si*-!..;, but welcome and ph-ar:.:.:-. '__ _' . ~f Vl'iil' -'V/i.D AT H \STiNO:', by tbe .1 th- K-.n-er -Dark-bi-own ".Lire, 'oranueJ. like V ..ii ne.-ir .-houl:I--.-i-, mpe round mrl:, ,j,„- ~., '..ou'. Ie- .. It n'-.t c!.iMn."i t.nd e:c- ---.,,.„_- y,;,U ,viil he. sii.l-.i en TUESDAY, •,-,.,: 'i :•■■ ' ,-r l.t o'clock re ion. " ' W. STOCK, Pouiidkei'pr'i-. -T-i,,- :,,; - :;'.,.-.'-,• us. T.-.i: C.-ilie bitch. X " Apply J-.'-'i I.yi-d'J'', W-imar.-tmi.,