d (it was
like Margaret to walk between them), there was an expression on his face
which made Aline feel capable of desperate things. A child like Barrie
to win him away from her so easily! There was something wrong about the
world. Aline yearned to right it, and live happily ever after. She had
travelled all night by train, and had been hours in a motor-car, never
once noticing the scenery; and instead of being enchanted with Connel
Ferry had regarded the crossing as a vexatious delay. Some of the most
beautiful scenes in Scotland had passed before her eyes between Oban and
Ballachulish; but if she thought of such things at all, she thought that
even a romantic writer couldn't be expected to notice irrelevant trifles
like nature, when bound up heart and soul in her own private romance.

Somerled wondered how he could possibly have found her face interesting.
He did not know which of her two smiles had less genuine human nature in
it, the sad one or the gay one. And he wondered for the first time if
Basil didn't write the best part of their books.

"I've come in a great hurry on an important mission from Mrs. Ballantree
MacDonald to Barrie," she explained to Somerled rather than to the girl,
as she got stiffly out of the motor-car. She was almost pathetically
anxious not to produce the impression that this frantic journey had been
undertaken on Ian's account. If she failed, she would put George Vanneck
out of his long misery by marrying him. She would even say that they had
been secretly engaged for some time. Anything rather than Somerled
should suspect the truth. But she was going to try hard not to fail.

"I'll see Basil presently," she said when Barrie asked if they oughtn't
to let him know. It occurred to Somerled that Aline did not want to meet
her brother before strangers. "Let me just get rid of this hired
motor-car--and then I must fulfil my mission before doing anything else.
Basil and I will have plenty of time together. I've finished my visit to
Mrs. Bal. Dear child, may I have a little talk with you in your own
room, and give you your Barbara's message?"

Barrie was eager, yet frightened. She could hardly wait to hear what was
her mother's verdict on the Plan; but it seemed ominous that she was to
learn it through Aline. Nothing good had come to her so far through Mrs.
West.

Barrie's room was small, and looked over a dovecote. The doves were
mourning a good deal more than was reasonable considering tha