‘The sooner ye mak’ up yer mind the better, my lad,’ said the old man. ‘Would you like to go into the oil-works?’ he added, as if it were an after-thought. ‘I hardly know, sir. I would like another year at College first,’ said Alec. ‘But thank you all the same, Uncle James;’ and as he spoke he rose to take his leave. Mr. Lindsay paid no sort of attention to the latter part of the reply. He took up a newspaper, and adjusting his spectacles began to read it, almost before the lad had turned his back. In another week the session was practically at an end. The prize-list, settled by the votes of the students themselves, showed that Alec had won the fourth prize, which in a class numbering nearly two hundred was a proof of at least a fair amount of application; and he also won an extra prize for Roman History. ‘You don’t seem much elated,’ said Cameron to his friend, when he brought home the splendidly-bound volumes of nothing in particular. ‘You’ve either less ambition or more sense than I gave you credit for.’ ‘I expected something better,’ said Alec. ‘Self-conceit, you should have said, not sense, Duncan.’ If Alec were conceited he got little to feed his vanity at home. His father looked at the books, praised the binding, asked how many prizes were given in the class, and said no more. Secretly he was gratified by his son’s success; but it was one of his principles to discourage vainglory in his children by never, under any circumstances, speaking favourably of their performances. No one would have guessed from Alec’s manner that he cared a straw whether any praise was awarded to him or not; but he felt none the less keenly the absence of his father’s commendation. The month of May went by slowly at the Castle Farm. Alec was longing for change of occupation and change of scene. One morning he chanced to notice an advertisement which he thought it worth while to answer. A Glasgow merchant, whose wife and daughters had persuaded him to spend four months of the year at the seaside, wished to find some one to read with his boys three hours a day, that they might not forget in summer all that they had learned in winter. For this service he was prepared to pay the munificent sum of five guineas a month. As it happened, the merchant’s address was a tiny watering-place on the Frith of Clyde, where Mr. James Lindsay had a large ‘marine villa.’ In reply to Alec’s letter, the advertiser, Mr. Fraser, asked only one question, whether the applicant were a relation of Mr. James Lindsay of Drumleck. Alec replied that he was, and was forthwith engaged.