, by whom Nancy had sent word that one of
her headaches was upon her, and that she was, by reason of it, unable
to see any one.

The concern in Danvers's manner, the unconscious exhibition of
tenderness in his voice, stiffened my half-formed resolution, and I did
just what the impulse bade me.

"Step into the library here, Danvers," said I. "I want a word with ye."

He gave me a questioning look, following me with no words and stood
waiting for me to speak after I had cautiously closed the door.

"It's just come to this, Dandie," I said, "you must stop coming to this
house as ye do! Until ye had a wife there was never one who entered the
door more welcome, but as long as I have Nancy Stair to think about,
ye'll just have to end these visits entirely. With the matter of an old
love between you, an affair known to the whole town as well, your
conduct is fair impossible, and, what is more, misunderstood!"

And here again a difficult thing in him to handle appeared; never in
his life had he known fear and a lie was a stranger to his lips, for
his birth, gear, and rearing had given him a secured position in which
he did as he chose, with excuses to none, and a be-damned-to-you
attitude to all who found fault with him, and it was with the candor
and shamelessness resulting from these that my dealings lay.

"Misunderstood--how?" he repeated after me like an echo.

"Well," said I, "the gossips will be having it that ye're in love with
my daughter still."

"Lord Stair," says he, "whether the gossips speak it or not is of
little moment to me, but it's the truth before God! There was never
another woman in the world like her, and from the moment I set eyes
upon her I've loved her and wanted her for my wife. I love her more now
since I have known what I missed; what I missed!" he repeated, his face
working in a kind of agony and his eyes swimming with tears. "Oh," he
continued, "what a wreck I have made of my life!"

"There's no need, by the same token," I cried, "to make a wreck of
another's as well. Ye've a wife at home, a wife who loves you and whom
you swore to love and honor. I have my daughter's reputation to think
of, and the end of the whole matter is you'll just have to make your
visits less frequent."

He had never come to me for sympathy before when he had not found it,
and the sorrow in his face melted me more than was wise.

"Say once a fortnight, or such like," I said weakly. "Considering the
relations be