come up with me
this autumn, Ogilvie? The mother will be glad to see you, and Janet,
too; though we haven't got any fine young ladies for you to make love
to, unless you go up to Fort William, or Fort George, or Inverness. And
I was all over the moors before I came away; and if there is anything
like good weather, we shall have plenty of birds this year, for I never
saw before such a big average of eggs in the nests."

"I wonder you don't let part of that shooting," said young Ogilvie, who
knew well of the straitened circumstances of the Macleods of Dare.

"The mother won't have it done," said Macleod, quite simply, "for she
thinks it keeps me at home. But a young man cannot always stay at home.
It is very good for you, Ogilvie, that you have brothers."

"Yes, if I had been the eldest of them," said Mr. Ogilvie. "It is a
capital thing to have younger brothers; it isn't half so pleasant when
you are the younger brother."

"And will you come up, then, and bury yourself alive at Dare?"

"It is awfully good of you to ask me, Macleod; and if I can manage it, I
will; but I am afraid there isn't much chance this year. In the
meantime, let me give you a hint. In London we talk of going _down_ to
the Highlands."

"Oh, do you? I did not think you were so stupid," Macleod remarked.

"Why, of course we do. You speak of going up to the capital of a
country, and of going down to the provinces."

"Perhaps you are right--no doubt you are right; but it sounds stupid,"
the unconvinced Highlander observed again. "It sounds stupid to say
going up to the south, and going down to the north. And how can you go
down to the Highlands? You might go down to the Lowlands. But no doubt
you are right; and I will be more particular. And will you have another
cigarette? And then we will go out for a walk, and Oscar will get drier
in the street than indoors."

"Don't imagine I am going out to have that dog plunging about among my
feet," said Ogilvie. "But I have something else for you to do. You know
Colonel Ross of Duntorme."

"I have heard of him."

"His wife is an awfully nice woman, and would like to meet you, I fancy
they think of buying some property--I am not sure it isn't an island--in
your part of the country; and she has never been to the Highlands at
all. I was to take you down with me to lunch with her at two, if you
care to go. There is her card."

Macleod looked at the card.

"How far is Prince's Gate from here?" he asked