The two gentlemen sat down together. They had often met before, for
whenever there were guests at Cairnforth Castle the earl always invited
the minister and his wife to dinner, but they had never fraternized
much. Now, a common sympathy, nay, more, a common grief--for
something beyond sympathy, keen personal regret, was evidently felt by
both for the departed earl and countess--made them suddenly familiar.

"Is the child doing well?" was Mr. Cardross's first and most natural
question; but it seemed to puzzle Mr. Menteith exceedingly.

"I suppose so--indeed, I can hardly say. This is a most difficult
and painful matter."

"It was born alive, and is a son and heir, as I heard?"

"Yes."

"That is fortunate."

"For some things; since, had it been a girl, the title would have
lapsed, and the long line of Earls of Cairnforth ended. At one time Dr.
Hamilton feared the child would be stillborn, and then, of course, the
earldom would have been extinct. The property must in that case have
passed to the earl's distant cousins, the Bruces, of whom you may have
heard, Mr. Cardross?"

"I have; and there are few things, I fancy, which Lord Cairnforth would
have regretted more than such heir-ship."

"You are right," said the keen W.S., evidently relieved. "It was my