ow he spoke to himself of the
girl he had been in love with!

Damn that schoolmaster! She would never fall in love with him, but he
might prevent her from falling in love with another! No attractions
could make way against certain prepossessions! The girl had a fancy for
being a saint, and the lout burned incense to her! So much he gathered
from Davie. His father must get rid of the fellow! If he thought he was
doing so well with Davie, why not send the two away together till
things were settled?

But the earl thought it would be better to win Donal. He counselled him
that every Grant was lord Seafield's cousin, and every highlander an
implacable enemy where his pride was hurt. His lordship did not reflect
that, if what he said were true of Donal, he must have left the castle
long ago. There was but one thing would have made it impossible for
Donal to remain--interference, namely, between him and his pupil.

Forgue did not argue with his father. He had given that up. At the same
time, if he had told all that had passed between him and Donal, the
earl would have confessed he had advised an impossibility.

Forgue took a step in a very different direction: he began to draw to
himself the good graces of Miss Carmichael: he did not know how little
she could serve him. Without being consciously insincere, she flattered
him, and speedily gained his confidence. Well descended on the
mother-side, she had grown up fit, her father said, to adorn any
society: with a keen appreciation of the claims and dignities of the
aristocracy, she was well able to flatter the prejudices she honoured
and shared in. Careful not to say a word against his cousin, she made
him feel more and more that his chief danger lay in the influence of
Donal. She fanned thus his hatred of the man who first came between him
and his wrath; next, between him and his "love;" and last, between him
and his fortunes.

If only Davie would fall ill, and require change of air! But Davie was
always in splendid health!

Now that he saw himself in such danger of failing, he fancied himself
far more in love with Arctura than he was. And as he got familiarized
with the idea of his illegitimacy, although he would not assent to it,
he made less and less of it--which would have been a proof to any other
than himself that he believed it. In further sign of the same, he made
no inquiry into the matter--did not once even question his father about
it. If it was true, he did n