"I have written to the laird. He's in a predicament about his child, feeling that school has been a failure, and yet governesses are worse. I wish I knew a dear old motherly body who would teach and love the little darling with the same breath. How are your chicks? Grown out of knowledge, I expect. I can't believe that I shall be with you before very long now. Good-bye. My love and kisses to the batch of you. And tell Geraldine that I will stop in town and be fitted up with frocks before I sail, so as not to disgrace her. Your last cheque was far too generous." "Ever your" "ROWENA." General Macdonald arrived over one afternoon. He had returned from town unexpectedly, and had told no one of his coming. Mysie was out when he came. Rowena received him in her green room. The couch was absent. At first he looked quite dazed when he saw a radiant vision crossing the room to meet him. Rowena looked so very much alive, as if every pulse in her body were beating with intense vitality. "Don't you recognize me?" she said with her mellow laugh. "Hardly. I did not realize you would be so tall. It is a resurrection. May I say how glad I am!" His eyes met hers with smiling admiration, then when they were seated his brows contracted. "Is it true that you're leaving this part for good?" "I am going to join my brother and family in India." "But do they want you?" "How can you be so uncomplimentary! Of course they do!" He drew a breath. "I was hoping, for the child's sake—for our sakes—that you would be here a little longer. What am I to do with her? Can you advise me?" "What do you think about the Macintoshes? Mrs. Macintosh is such a nice woman. She might be inclined to take her, and later on perhaps she would be strong enough to go back to school." "I can't afford to lose her, but I like Mrs. Macintosh, and if her son would give her an hour or two of lessons every day, it would be the very thing. What a wonderful woman you are for lightening my burdens! I will go to them on my way home and see if they would be willing to do it. I think I shall be away on and off all the summer. There will be no inducement to come down here with you gone." He stopped and looked at her as Rowena had never seen him look before. She was conscious of the quickened beating of her heart. Then he compressed his lips. Rowena said lightly: "You must be more sociable this coming summer. For your little daughter's sake, you must be; and you will find it better for yourself to mix more with your fellow-creatures. I have come to the conclusion that my enforced seclusion has had its purposes, but it would not be good for me to continue it. A solitary life tends to selfishness; don't you think so?"