"Your obdt. humble servant,
"E. McCLURE.
"P.S.--I should like Mr. Stair to tell my uncle that I
did not disgrace the family name."
In a letter left in charge of Captain Penman, Kennedy McClure had sent
Patsy a packet of banknotes with his love. The emigrants were to be
taken to Leghorn and landed there. Thereafter they could remain at Pisa
or Florence as suited them best till the storm blew over and their
friends made arrangements. Miss Patsy must not mind taking a little
money now, for he had meant her to be his heir ever since he had charged
himself with her future by helping her to run away from princesses and
suchlike great people in London. And as for Stair Garland, he really had
been owing him all that and more for a long time.
* * * * *
It was the autumn of the year after Waterloo when they next set foot on
Scottish soil. They might have come sooner, but while Napoleon ruled
communications were difficult, and now there were three of them to think
about. Recently, however, Kennedy McClure had died of a sudden
apoplectic seizure and had left Stair a rich man. But the estate was one
which needed very constant and personal attention.
Uncle Julian they had already seen twice in Florence and once in Rome.
Old Brunschweig was also dead and there was more than a likelihood that
the Princess would not bear the title of Princess much longer. She would
lose her rank, but she would be rich enough and happy enough to make up
for any loss of dignity under the name of Mrs. Julian Wemyss.
Adam Ferris and Miss Aline received them on the quay. She had got the
house of Ladykirk in order for them. She had opened up the orchard
portion and given them the whole of the east wing to themselves. She
would be more than ever in the garden among her flowers. The stables
also were at hand. Stair would need many horses for his riding if he
meant to follow in the footsteps of Kennedy McClure, and she could
never, never bide to see her darling enter as a bride into a house with
the mischancy name of Supsorrow. Besides, she herself had no heirs, and
it was not meet that Ladykirk and Balmacminto should go to any other
than Patsy. It would fit in fine with the Ferris properties some day,
when young Kennedy Ebenezer Garland thought of settling!
So she chattered as they drove through Stranryan, and the folk flocked
to their doors to see the strange foreign lady and gentleman whose names
even they had not yet heard. On this point Mr. Ferris had thought it
best to be silent, and with some difficulty had persuaded Miss Aline to
do the same.
Well, she agreed, they would be tired, the poor things. What need to
have all the mob at their heels shouting and "yellyhooing"?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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