l that afternoon. The quiet man doing the duty
next and making no professions had left her secure against want; and
after the lawyer who read the will had gone, the Williams went out, and
Matthews had drawn his chair near to hers and told her the same story
of her father's people that he had told Wayland in the Desert.

"They were a' dark fearsome men," he had said, telling her of the first
Fraser-MacDonald who fought with Wolfe at Quebec, and the Man of the
Iron Hand. "They were a' dark fearsome men; but of stainless honor,
child! Not a man of them left a bar sinister on th' scutcheon! Even
the man who married th' squaw, had a priest tie th' knot so that
children would come stainless t' life; but they were dark fearsome men,
undyin' in their hates an' unhappy in their loves. Y'r own mother's
people turned against y'r father for th' part he took in th' Rebellion."

"Don't you think," asked Eleanor, "it's time one of the race broke the
spell of unhappy love?"

"Aye, child! 'Tis why A'd take y' back t' th' little old lady waitin'
in Prince Albert, an' put y' in y'r own place in th' halls o' Scotland?
D' y' know there's been none o' y'r race direct t' occupy th' manor
since th' first Frazer fled from th' Jacobite Rebellion to French
Canada? 'Twas part o' his stubborn spirit that he fought for the
Nation that had cast him out."

"Oh, I'm not interested in the Jacobites and Wolfe and things of the
past," interrupted Eleanor. "I want to live my life full in the
present."

"Aye; an' 'tis because y're a Fraser-MacDonald of the Lovatt clan that
ye want t' live a full present! If you were an upstart new-rich, my
dear, y'd be sellin' y'r soul t' th' Devil an' y'r body t' some leprous
kite with ulcerous weddin' kisses for the privilege o' claimin' this
inheritance that's yours! There's a male decendant o' some collateral
line on th' place adjoinin' yours. Man alive, he's had th' pick o'
every pork packer's an' brewer's daughter; but he's waitin' th' little
lady who's his aunt t' come back from Prince Albert--"

He knew the minute he had spoken that he had struck a false note.
Eleanor jumped from her chair.

"Oh, bother the little lady at Prince Albert. Leave me, please! I
want to think--"

He withdrew as far as the door. "Would y' like me to see y'r lawyer
man 'bout puttin' th' ranch lands o' th' Upper Pass on th' market, an'
settlin' up th' estate?"

"No," answered Eleanor. "I'm not going to sell any of m