He was so ill-tempered Mrs. Campbell thought it best to leave him alone with his cigar. It seemed better to worry out her anxieties with Isabel, who, however, was not in a mood to talk them away. "I am so depressed, mother," she complained. "I hardly know what I am saying. I feel as if I had a great sorrow. The room is dark, the air heavy, the whole house feels full of trouble. It is crowded, too. With a little effort I feel that I could see the crowd. Do you understand?" "My God! Isabel, control yourself. We want no Second Sight here. The Argyle Campbells are great seers, and you must close your ears to their whisperings, and whatever sights are under your eye-balls, deny them vision. You must, you must! For, as your grandfather, Ivan Campbell, used to say, 'the Second Sight, children, isna a blessing, it is aye dool and sorrow, or ill chance it shows you.'" "Mother, I must tell you the truth. I am unhappy about Christina." "So am I." "She ought to have sent us a message. She would, had it been possible. Oh, mother, what or who prevented her?" "Perhaps she did. Have you asked Scot?" "No, but if any message had been sent by him he would have told Jepson at once, and Jepson heard our conversation about her absence at the dinner table, yet he made no remark." "What do you fear?" "My fear has no form. That is what frightens me. If I knew----" "You are nervous, Isabel, very nervous. She left home well, and in good spirits." "I never saw her in better health, or finer spirits." "Do you not remember, that she once stayed at Colonel Allison's till near midnight, without sending us any message? We were in a fright about her at that time." "But you commanded her never to do the like again." "Christina has not obeyed my commands very particularly of late. They do not seem important to her." "She has had so much to do, and she knew Sir Thomas would not be in Glasgow to-night. If I knew she was well and safe, I should be glad she was not here, for this is an unhappy house with Robert in the devil's own temper, and Dora looking like the grave." "Dora makes Robert ill-tempered. It is all her fault, and we have to suffer for it." "She evidently suffers also." "She deserves to suffer." "Suppose we send for Scot. He must be in the stable yet." "As you like." In a quarter of an hour Scot stood within the dining-room door respectfully indignant at the summons and the delay it would cause him. He was rather glad the ladies were anxious and quite in the mood to tell anything he thought might be disagreeable. "Where did you take Miss Christina first of all this morning, Scot?" asked Mrs. Campbell. "To the florist's shop on Buchanan Street. She bought a posy of daffy-down-dillys and came out with them in her hand." "Where next?" "To Madame Barnard's. She didna stop five minutes there, but Madame cam' to the doorstep wi' her, and bid Miss Christina good-bye and wished her a' the good luck in the round world itsel'." "Then?"