o
himself, his passion was. "No," says he, then, "I have tried half a dozen
times now. I can bear being away from you well enough; but being with you
is intolerable" (another low curtsy on Mrs. Beatrix's part), "and I will
go. I have enough to buy axes and guns for my men, and beads and blankets
for the savages; and I'll go and live amongst them."

"_Mon ami_," she says, quite kindly, and taking Esmond's hand, with an air
of great compassion. "You can't think that in our position anything more
than our present friendship is possible. You are our elder brother--as such
we view you, pitying your misfortune, not rebuking you with it. Why, you
are old enough and grave enough to be our father. I always thought you a
hundred years old, Harry, with your solemn face and grave air. I feel as a
sister to you, and can no more. Isn't that enough, sir?" And she put her
face quite close to his--who knows with what intention?

"It's too much," says Esmond, turning away. "I can't bear this life, and
shall leave it. I shall stay, I think, to see you married, and then
freight a ship, and call it the _Beatrix_, and bid you all----"

Here the servant, flinging the door open, announced his grace the Duke of
Hamilton, and Esmond started back with something like an imprecation on
his lips, as the nobleman entered, looking splendid in his star and green
ribbon. He gave Mr. Esmond just that gracious bow which he would have
given to a lackey who fetched him a chair or took his hat, and seated
himself by Miss Beatrix, as the poor colonel went out of the room with a
hang-dog look.

Esmond's mistress was in the lower room as he passed downstairs. She often
met him as he was coming away from Beatrix; and she beckoned him into the
apartment.

"Has she told you, Harry?" Lady Castlewood said.

"She has been very frank--very," says Esmond.

"But--but about what is going to happen?"

"What is going to happen?" says he, his heart beating.

"His grace the Duke of Hamilton has proposed to her," says my lady. "He
made his offer yesterday. They will marry as soon as his mourning is over;
and you have heard his grace is appointed ambassador to Paris; and the
ambassadress goes with him."

Chapter IV. Beatrix's New Suitor

The gentleman whom Beatrix had selected was, to be sure, twenty years
older than the colonel, with whom she quarrelled for being too old; but
this one was but a nameless adventurer, and the other the greatest duke in
Scotlan