and walked down to the Castle, where, for the first time these ten
years, windows were opened and doors unbarred, and the sweet light and
warm air of day let in upon those long-shut rooms, which seemed, in
their dumb, inanimate way, glad to be happy again--glad to be made of
use once more. Even the portraits of the late earl and countess--he
in his Highland dress, and she in her white satin and pearls--both so
young and bright, as they looked on the day they were married, seemed to
gaze back at each other from either side the long dining-room, as if to
say, rejoicing, "Our son is coming home."

"Have you seen the earl?" said Mr. Cardross to one of the new servants
who attended him round the rooms, listening respectfully to all the
remarks and suggestions as to furniture and the like which Mr. Menteith
had requested him to make. The minister was always specially popular
with servants and inferiors of every sort, for he possessed, in a
remarkable degree, that best key to their hearts, the gentle dignity
which never needs to assert a superiority that is at once felt and
acknowledged.

"The earl, sir? Na, na"--with a mysterious shake of the head--
"naebody sees the earl. Some say--but I hae nae cause to think it
mysel'--that he's no a' there."

The minister was sufficiently familiar with that queer, but very
expressive Scotch phrase, "not all there," to pursue no farther
inquiries. But he sighed, and wished he had delayed a little before
undertaking the tutorship. However, the matter was settled now, and Mr.
Cardross was not the man ever to draw back from an agreement or shrink
from a promise.