Part 67 (2/2)
”My lady Clementina,” he said, ”will you oblige me by going to my sister in the room at the top of the stair?”
”I will, my lord,” she answered, and went.
Malcolm walked up to Liftore.
”My lord,” he said, ”my sister takes leave of you.”
”I must have my dismissal from her own lips.”
”You shall have it from the hands of my fishermen. Take him away.”
”You shall hear from me, my lord marquis, if such you be,” said Liftore.
”Let it be of your repentance, then, my lord,” said Malcolm. ”That I shall be glad to hear of.”
As he turned from him, he saw Caley gliding through the little group of servants towards the door. He walked after her, laid his hand on her shoulder, and whispered a word in her ear, she grew gray rather than white, and stood still.
Turning again to go to Florimel, he saw the fishermen stopped with their charge in the doorway by Mr Morrison and Mr Soutar, entering together.
”My lord! my lord!” said the lawyer, coming hastily up to him, ”there can be surely no occasion for such--such--measures!”
Catching sight of Malcolm's wounded forehead, however, he supplemented the remark with a low exclamation of astonishment and dismay-- the tone saying almost as clearly as words, ”How ill and foolishly everything is managed without a lawyer!”
Malcolm only smiled, and went up to the magistrate, whom he led into the middle of the room, saying,
”Mr Morrison, every one here knows you: tell them who I am.”
”The Marquis of Lossie, my lord,” answered Mr Morrison; ”and from my heart I congratulate your people that at length you a.s.sume the rights and honours of your position.”
A murmur of pleasure arose in response. Ere it ceased, Malcolm started and sprung to the door. There stood Lenorme! He seized him by the arm, and, without a word of explanation, hurried him to the room where his sister was. He called Clementina, drew her from the room, half pushed Lenorme in, and closed the door.
”Will you meet me on the sand hill at sunset, my lady?” he said.
She smiled a.s.sent. He gave her the key of the tunnel, hinted that she might leave the two to themselves for awhile, and returned to his friends in the drawing room.
Having begged them to excuse him for a little while, and desired Mrs Courthope to serve luncheon for them, he ran to his grandfather, dreading lest any other tongue than his own should yield him the opened secret. He was but just in time, for already the town was in a tumult, and the spreading ripples of the news were fast approaching Duncan's ears.
Malcolm found him, expectant and restless. When he disclosed himself he manifested little astonishment, only took him in his arms and pressed him to his bosom, saying, ”Ta Lort pe praised, my son! and she wouldn't pe at aal surprised.” Then he broke out in a fervent e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n of Gaelic, during which he turned instinctively to his pipes, for through them lay the final and only sure escape for the prisoned waters of the overcharged reservoir of his feelings.
While he played, Malcolm slipped out, and hurried to Miss Horn.
One word to her was enough. The stern old woman burst into tears, crying,
”Oh, my Grisel! my Grisel! Luik doon frae yer bonny hoose amo' the stars, an' see the braw laad left ahint ye, an' praise the lord 'at ye ha'e sic a son o' yer boady to come hame to ye whan a' 's ower.”
She sobbed and wept for a while without restraint. Then suddenly she rose, dabbed her eyes indignantly, and cried,
”Hoot! I'm an auld fule. A body wad think I hed feelin's efter a'!”
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