"Then, thank God, all is well!" "What brought you home in such haste?" "I had a bad dream about my mother, and was a little anxious. There was more reason too, which I will tell you afterwards." "What were you doing in Moscow? Have you a furlough?" "No; I am a sort of deserter. I would have thrown up my commission, but had not a chance. In Moscow I was teaching in a school to keep out of the way of the police. But I will tell you all by and by." The voice was low, veiled, and sad; the joy of the meeting rippled through it like a brook. The brothers had forgotten the stranger, and stood talking till the patience of Valentine was as much exhausted as his strength. "Are you going to stand there all night?" he said at last. "This is no doubt very interesting to you, but it is rather a bore to one who can neither see you, nor understand a word you say." "Is the gentleman a friend of yours, Alister?" asked Ian. "Not exactly.--But he is a Sasunnach," he concluded in English, "and we ought not to be speaking Gaelic." "I beg his pardon," said Ian. "Will you introduce me?" "It is impossible; I do not know his name. I never saw him, and don't see him now. But he insists on my company." "That is a great compliment. How far?" "To the New House." "I paid him a shilling to carry my bag," said Valentine. "He took the shilling, and was going to walk off with my bag!" "Well?" "Well indeed! Not at all well! How was I to know--" "But he didn't--did he?" said Ian, whose voice seemed now to tingle with amusement. "--Alister, you were wrong." It was an illogical face-about, but Alister responded at once. "I know it," he said. "The moment I heard your voice, I knew it.--How is it, Ian,"--here he fell back into Gaelic--"that when you are by me, I know what is right so much quicker? I don't understand it. I meant to do right, but--" "But your pride got up. Alister, you always set out well--nobly--and then comes the devil's turn! Then you begin to do as if you repented! You don't carry the thing right straight out. I hate to see the devil make a fool of a man like you! Do YOU not know that in your own country you owe a stranger hospitality?" "My own country!" echoed Alister with a groan. "Yes, your own country--and perhaps more yours than it was your grandfather's! You know who said, 'The meek shall inherit the earth'! If it be not ours in God's way, I for one would not care to call it mine another way."--Here he changed again to English.--"But we must not keep the gentleman standing while we talk!" "Thank you!" said Valentine. "The fact is, I'm dead beat." "Have you anything I could carry for you?" asked Ian. "No, I thank you.--Yes; there! if you don't mind taking my gun?--you speak like a gentleman!" "I will take it with pleasure." He took the gun, and they started.