"'Your heir, Harry!'

"'The future Earl and Countess of Brammerton and Hazelmere,' we chimed
together.

"Our winecups clinked and the bond was made;--made for all time,
George."

My father's eyes lit up and he seemed to be back in the Crimea. He
shook his head sadly.

"And now, poor old Fred is gone. Ah, well! our dream is coming true.
In a month, the maid of Granton weds the future Earl of Brammerton.

"'Gad, George, my boy,--Rosemary may be skittish and lively, but were
she the most mercurial woman in Christendom, she has never forgotten
that she is first of all a Granton, and, as a Granton, she has kept a
Granton's pledge."

For a moment I caught the contagion of my father's earnestness. My
eyes felt damp as I thought how important, after all, this union was to
him. But, even then, I could not resist a little more questioning.

"Does Harry love her, dad?"

"Love her!" He smiled. "Why! my boy, he's madly in love with her."

"Then, why doesn't he mend a bit? give over his mad chasing after,--to
put it mildly,--continual excitement; and demonstrate that he is
thoroughly in earnest. You know, falling madly in love is a habit of
Harry's."

"Don't you worry your serious head about that, George. You talk of
Harry as if he were a baby. You talk as if you were his grandfather,
instead of his younger brother and a mere boy."

"Does Lady Rosemary love Harry?" I asked, ignoring his admonition.

"Of course, she loves him. Why shouldn't she? He's a good fellow;
well bred and well made; he is a soldier; he is in the swim; he has
plenty to spend; he is the heir to Brammerton;--why shouldn't she love
him? She is going to marry him, isn't she? She may not be of the
gushing type, George, but she'll come to it all in good time. She will
grow to love him, as every good wife does her husband. So, don't let
that foolish head of yours give you any more trouble."

I turned to leave.

"George!"

"Yes, dad!"

"You will be on hand this week-end. I want you at home. I need you to
keep things going. No skipping off to sporting gatherings or athletic
conventions. I wish you to meet your future sister."

"Well,--I had not thought of that, dad. Big Jim Darrol, Tom Tanner and
I have entered for a number of events at the Gartnockan Games on
Saturday. I am also on the lists as a competitor for the Northern
Counties Golf Championship on Monday."

My father looked up at me in a strange way.

"However," I