"Howard, I wish to have a few meenutes’ talk with ye; and perhaps our good friends here will come into the room too——" We followed him into the dining-room; and shut the door. "—just to see whether there is anything unreasonable in what I have got to say to ye." The young man looked rather alarmed; there was an unusual coldness and austerity in the elder man’s voice. "We may as well sit down," he said; "it wants a little explanation." We sate down in silence, Howard Smith looking more concerned than ever. He had a real affection, as we knew, for this pseudo-uncle of his, and was astounded that he should be spoken to in this formal and cold manner. The Laird put one or two letters on the table before him. "I have asked our friends here," said he, in a calm and measured voice, "to listen to what I have to say, and they will judge whether it is unreasonable. I have a service to ask of ye. I will say nothing of the relations between you and me before this time—but I may tell ye frankly—what doubtless ye have understood—that I had intended to leave ye Denny-mains at my death. I have neither kith nor kin of my own blood; and it was my intention that ye should have Denny-mains—perhaps even before I was called away." The young man said nothing; but the manner in which the Laird spoke of his intentions in the past sense might have made the most disinterested of heirs look frightened. After ali, he had certainly been brought up on the understanding that he was to succeed to the property. "Now," said he, slowly, "I may say I have shown ye some kindness——" "Indeed you have, sir!" said the other warmly. "—and I have asked nothing from ye in return. I would ask nothing now, if I was your age. If I was twenty years younger, I would not have telegraphed for ye—indeed no, I would have taken the matter into my own hands——" Here the Laird paused for a second or so to regain that coldness of demeanour with which he had started. "Ay, just so. Well, ye were talking about the man Smethurst as we were coming along. His niece, as ye may be aware, is in this house—a better lass was never seen within any house." The Laird hesitated more and more as he came to the climax of his discourse: it was obviously difficult for him to put this restraint on himself. "Yes," said he, speaking a little more hurriedly, "and that scoondrel—that scoondrel—has made off with every penny that the poor lass had—every penny of it—and she is left an orphan—without a farthing to maintain herself wi’—and that infernal scoondrel——" The Laird jumped from his seat; his anger was too much for him. "I mean to stand by her," said he, pacing up and down the room, and speaking in short ejaculations. "She will not be left without a farthing. I will reach him too, if I can. Ay, ay, if I was but twenty years younger, and had that man before me!" He stopped short opposite his nephew, and controlled himself so as to speak quite calmly.