"On mine? Oh, no," said Leslie frankly. "When a man has such an _arriere pensee_ as I have, there is no self-sacrifice. There, you see I am perfectly plain." "And I esteem you all the more for it." The conversation extended, and in quite a long discussion everything was forgotten but the subject in hand, till Leslie said:-- "There, you had better sit down and rest for a few minutes. You are quite out of breath." Madelaine looked startled, for she had been so intent upon their conversation that she had not heeded their going up the cliff walk. "Sit down," said Leslie; and she obeyed. "Get your breath, and we'll walk back to your house together; but what do you think of it all?" "I cannot help thinking that it would for many reasons be better." "So do I," said Leslie, "in spite of the risk." "Risk?" "Yes. Suppose I get into an imbroglio with Master Harry? He's as peppery as can be. How then?" "You will be firm and forbearing," said Madelaine gravely. "I have no fear." "Well, I have. I know myself better than you know me," said Leslie, placing a foot on the seat and resting his arm on his knee, as he spoke thoughtfully. "I am a very hotheaded kind of Highlander by descent, and there's no knowing what might happen. Now one more question. Shall I open fire on your father to-night?" "That requires more consideration," said Madelaine. "We will talk that over as we go back. Here is Harry," she said quickly, as that gentleman suddenly burst upon them; and the walk back to Van Heldre's was accomplished without the discussion. "I'm afraid I've made a very great mistake, Miss Van Heldre," said Leslie, as they neared the house. "Don't say that," she replied. "It was most unfortunate." "But you will soon set that right?" he added, after a pause. "I don't know," said Madelaine quietly. "You will come in?" "No; not this evening. We had better both have a grand think before anything is said." "Yes," said Madelaine; and they parted at the door--to think. "Why, John," said Mrs Van Heldre, turning from the window to gaze in her husband's face, "did you see that?" "Yes," said Van Heldre shortly; "quite plainly." "But what does it mean?" "Human nature." "But I thought, dear--" "So did I, and now I think quite differently." "Well, really, I must speak to Madelaine: it is so--" "Silence!" said Van Heldre sternly. "Madelaine is not a child now. Wait, wife, and she will speak to us." Volume 1, Chapter XVI. IN A WEST COAST GALE. "That project is knocked over as if it were a card house," said Duncan Leslie, as he reached home, and sat thinking of Louise and her brother. He looked out to see that in a very short time the total aspect of the sea had changed. The sky had become overcast, and in the dim light the white horses of the Atlantic were displaying their manes.