THE MASTER OF ABERFELDIE BY JAMES GRANT AUTHOR OF "THE ROMANCE OF WAR," "THE CAMERONIANS," "THE SCOTTISH CAVALIER," ETC. ETC. IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. I. LONDON: HURST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS, 13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. 1884. _All rights reserved._ Contents Chapter I. Stalking the Deer II. Hawke Holcroft III. Uncle Raymond's Will IV. The Grahams of Dundargue V. Olive and Allan VI. The Chagrin of Love VII. Le Chagrin d'Amour VIII. The Riding-Party IX. The Picnic at Dunsinane X. The Golden Bangle XI. Eveline's Suitor XII. A Revelation to Holcroft XIII. Allan Proves Mysterious XIV. Olive Changes Her Mind XV. The Carpet-Dance, and What Came of It THE MASTER OF ABERFELDIE. CHAPTER I. STALKING THE DEER. 'I don't know what Olive will think, or how she may view my loitering here, after all these years of absence, instead of hastening home to meet her; but, truth to tell, the temptation to have a shot on the purple heather after sweltering so long in India was so great----' 'What does it matter what she thinks?' interrupted the elder man, laughing. 'When two persons are to spend the whole term of their natural lives together, they can surely spare a few days for pleasure apart!' 'But consider, I have not seen my little _fiancée_ for seven years.' 'You will find her a pretty tall _fiancée_ now,' replied the other, 'and as handsome as any girl in Scotland, Allan.' The speakers were Lord Aberfeldie (he was viscount in the Peerage) and his son Allan, the Master, then at home on leave from the Black Watch, in which he was a captain; and now, side by side, they were creeping up a steep and stony corrie in search of the red deer, but paused for a few minutes to breathe and converse. The Master--so entitled as the son of a Scottish baron (we may add for the information of most English readers even in these days)--was, like his father, a tall and soldier-like fellow, with closely-shorn dark brown hair, straight features, and an almost black moustache, which partly concealed lips that were handsomely curved, and expressive of no small degree of firmness and decision. He carried his head erect, and spoke rather with the air of one used to command when addressing men, but with great and subtle softness when conversing with women of every station and degree; and already, under home influences, his dark hazel eyes were losing the keen and somewhat hawk-like expression they had worn when daily facing death and suffering on active service. Both father and son were handsome, though there were nearly thirty years between them in age, and both were, from head to foot, unmistakably thorough-bred men--the latter tanned deeply by a tropical sun, and his forehead scarred by a wound from a tulwar blade.