"Oh! that beastly thing," said Myra in disgust. "That's his, too. A smoking-room and study, I believe. He had it built there because he has an uninterrupted view that sweeps the sea." "Why 'beastly thing'?" I asked. "It's too far away to worry you, though it isn't exactly pretty, and I know you hate to see anything in the shape of a new building going up." "Oh! it annoys me," she answered airily, "and somehow it gets on daddy's nerves. You see, it has a funny sort of window which goes all round the top of the hut. This is evidently divided into several small windows, because they swing about in the wind, and when the sun shines on them they catch the eye even at our distance. And, as I say, they get on daddy's nerves, which have not been too good the last week or two." "Never mind," I consoled her; "he'll be all right when his friends come up for the Twelfth. I think the doctors are wrong to say that he should never have a lot of people hanging round him, because there can surely be no harm in letting him see a few friends. I certainly think he's right to make an exception for the grouse." "Grouse!" sniffed Myra. "They come for the Twelfth because they like to be seen travelling north on the eleventh! And I have to entertain them. And some of the ones who come for the first time tell me they suppose I know all the pretty walks round about! And in any case," she finished, in high indignation, "can you imagine _me_ entertaining anybody?" "Yes, my dear, I can," I replied; and the "argument" kept us busy till we reached Invermalluch. The old General came down to the landing-stage to meet us, and was much more honestly pleased to see me than I had ever known him before. "Ah! Ronald, my boy!" he exclaimed heartily. "'Pon my soul, I'm glad to see you. It's true, I suppose? You've heard the news?" The question amused me, because it was so typical of the old fellow. Here had I come from London, where the Cabinet was sitting night and day, to a spot miles from the railway terminus, to be asked if I had heard the news! "You mean the war, of course?" I replied. "Yes; it's come, my boy, at last. Come to find me on the shelf! Ah, well! It had to come sooner or later, and now we're not ready. Ah, well, we must all do what we can. Begad, I'm glad to see you, my boy, thundering glad. It's a bit lonely here sometimes for the little woman, you know; but she never complains." (In point of fact, she even contrived to laugh, and take her father's arm affectionately in her's.) "And besides, there are many things I want to have a talk with you about, Ronald--many things. By the way, had lunch?" "We lunched at Mallaig, thank you, sir," I explained. "Well, well, Myra will see you get all you want--won't you, girlie?" he said. "I say, Ronnie," Myra asked, as we reached the house, "are you very tired after your journey, or shall we have a cup of tea and then take our rods for an hour or so?"