een hard upon any of my tenants, not to say unfair, you
have wronged me infinitely more than if you had taken from me. God be
with me as I prefer ruin to wrong! Remember, besides, that my tenants
are my charge and care. For you, my representative, therefore, to do one
of them an injury is to do me a double injury--to wrong my tenant, and
to wrong him in my name."

"Ah, my lord, you don't know how they would take advantage of you if
there were nobody to look after your interests."

"Then do look after them, sir. It would be bad for them to succeed, as
well as crippling to me. Only be sure, with the thought of the righteous
God to elevate your sense of justice, that you are in the right. If
doubtful, then give in. And now, if any man thinks he has cause of
complaint, I leave it to you, with the help of the new light that has
been given you, to reconsider the matter, and where needful to make
reparation. You must be the friend of my tenant as much as of his
landlord. I have no interests inimical to those of my tenants. If any
man comes to me with complaint, I will send him to re-state his case to
you, with the understanding that if you will not listen to him he is to
come to me again, when I shall hear both sides and judge between. If
after six months you should desire me to go over the books with you, I
will do so. As to your loyalty to my family and its affairs, of that I
never had a shadow of suspicion." As he ended Malcolm held out his hand.

The factor's trembled in his strong grasp.

"Mistress Crathie is sorely vexed, my lord," he said, rising to take his
leave, "at things both said and done in the dark."

Malcolm laughed. "Give Mrs. Crathie my compliments," he said, "and tell
her a man is more than a marquis. If she will after this treat every
honest fisherman as if he might possibly turn out a lord, she and I
shall be more than quits."

The next morning he carried her again a few mackerel he had just caught,
and she never forgot the lesson given her. That morning, I may mention,
he did not go fishing alone, but had a lady with him in the dinghy; and
indeed they were together, in one place and another, the most of the
day--at one time flying along the fields, she on the bay mare and he on
Kelpie.

When the evening came the town-hall was crammed--men standing on all the
window-sills--and so many could not get in that Malcolm proposed they
should occupy the square in front. A fisherman in garb and gesture, not