ate lad," said Mr. Colquhoun, drily, as he seated
himself at a writing-table, in order to take Mrs. Luttrell's
instructions. "I hope he may be worthy of his good luck."

Hugo did not seem to consider himself very fortunate when he heard the
news of Miss Murray's approaching marriage. He looked thoroughly
disconcerted. Mrs. Luttrell was inclined to think that his affections
had been engaged more deeply than she knew, and in her hard, unemotional
way, tried to express some sympathy with him in his loss. It was not a
matter of the affections with Hugo, however, but his purse. His money
affairs were much embarrassed: he was beginning to calculate the amount
that he could wring out of Mrs. Luttrell, and, if she failed him, he had
made up his mind to marry Elizabeth.

"Heron!" he exclaimed, in a tone of surprise and disgust, "I don't
believe she cares a rap for Heron."

"How can you tell?" said his aunt.

Hugo looked at her, looked down, and said nothing.

"If you think she liked you better than Mr. Heron," said Mrs. Luttrell,
in a meditative tone, "something might yet be done to change the course
of affairs."

"No, no," said Hugo, hastily. "Dear Aunt Margaret, you are too kind. No,
if she is happy, it is all I ask. I will go to Strathleckie this
afternoon; perhaps I can then judge better."

"I don't want you to do anything dishonourable," said his aunt, "but, if
Elizabeth likes you best, Hugo, I could speak to Mr. Heron--the father,
I mean--and ascertain whether the engagement is absolutely irrevocable.
I should like to see you happy as well as Elizabeth Murray."

Hugo sighed, kissed his aunt's hand, and departed--not to see Elizabeth,
but Kitty Heron. He felt that if his money difficulties could only be
settled, he was well out of that proposed marriage with Elizabeth; but
then money difficulties were not easily settled when one had no money.
In the meantime, he was free to make love to Kitty.

Percival spent two or three busy weeks in London, and found that hard
work was the best specific for the low spirits from which he had
suffered during his stay in Scotland. He heard regularly from Elizabeth,
and her letters, though not long, and somewhat coldly expressed, gave
him complete satisfaction. He noticed with some surprise that she spoke
a good deal of Hugo Luttrell; he seemed to be always with them, and the
distant cousinship existing between him and Elizabeth had been made the
pretext for a good deal of apparent