BY
JAMES GRANT
AUTHOR OF
"THE ROMANCE OF WAR," "THE CAMERONIANS,"
"THE SCOTTISH CAVALIER,"
ETC. ETC.
IN THREE VOLUMES.
VOL. I.
LONDON:
HURST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS,
13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET.
1884.
All rights reserved.
Contents
Chapter
I. Stalking the Deer
II. Hawke Holcroft
III. Uncle Raymond's Will
IV. The Grahams of Dundargue
V. Olive and Allan
VI. The Chagrin of Love
VII. Le Chagrin d'Amour
VIII. The Riding-Party
IX. The Picnic at Dunsinane
X. The Golden Bangle
XI. Eveline's Suitor
XII. A Revelation to Holcroft
XIII. Allan Proves Mysterious
XIV. Olive Changes Her Mind
XV. The Carpet-Dance, and What Came of It
THE MASTER OF ABERFELDIE.
'I don't know what Olive will think, orhow she may view my loitering here, afterall these years of absence, instead ofhastening home to meet her; but, truth totell, the temptation to have a shot on thepurple heather after sweltering so long inIndia was so great——'
'What does it matter what she thinks?'interrupted the elder man, laughing.'When two persons are to spend the wholeterm of their natural lives together, theycan surely spare a few days for pleasureapart!'
'But consider, I have not seen my littlefiancée for seven years.'
'You will find her a pretty tall fiancéenow,' replied the other, 'and as handsomeas any girl in Scotland, Allan.'
The speakers were Lord Aberfeldie (hewas viscount in the Peerage) and his sonAllan, the Master, then at home on leavefrom the Black Watch, in which he was acaptain; and now, side by side, they werecreeping up a steep and stony corrie insearch of the red deer, but paused for afew minutes to breathe and converse.
The Master—so entitled as the son of aScottish baron (we may add for theinformation of most English readers even inthese days)—was, like his father, a talland soldier-like fellow, with closely-shorndark brown hair, straight features, and analmost black moustache, which partlyconcealed lips that were handsomely curved,and expressive of no small degree offirmness and decision. He carried his headerect, and spoke rather with the air of oneused to command when addressing men,but with great and subtle softness whenconversing with women of every stationand degree; and already, under homeinfluences, his dark hazel eyes were losingthe keen and somewhat hawk-like expressionthey had worn when daily facingdeath and suffering on active service.
Both father and son were handsome,though there were nearly thirty yearsbetween them in age, and both