The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

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The Higluand Monthly
chievous, in his pranks. Short, thick set, with shiny pale
and grey close-cut whiskers, he would have passed—affect-
ing, as he invariably did, a sort of seafaring costume—as a
retired officer in His Majesty's navy, and as jolly a one to
boot as ever roved the seas. He had likewise, if less pro-
nounced, his serious and sensible characteristics—a dualism
in his character which gave rise to the district saying
about the laird's being resolved into his "elements"'
in the form of his progeny, Mr Merryman and Mr Melan-
choly, as they were respectively, and popularly, dubbed.
In the meantime Mr Melancholy had resumed his clini-
cal studies, annoyed at the scene of gaiety below, when the
sound of horses' hoofs caught his ear.
"?/Ir Richard," he exclaimed ; and once more he was
concealed behind the window curtain.
He was right. The young man who leapt from a steaming
Highland pony, as if he had rode twenty instead of one
poor mile, was greeted as Richard by Flora and the laird
the former eager and blushing, the latter evidently well
pleased at sight of the handsome }-outh nature had pro-
vided for him. Richard ^\'as quite the antipathy of his
brother. Short, clean shaven, with a careless, man of the
world look about him, and a frank, almost rollicking manner
and address, it required no philosopher to discern the reason
of his being a favourite in the little social whirl of the
county. Yet the more thoughtful pronounced that David^
with his quiet intellectual way, would have made a better
landlord than this easy-minded, impressionable fellow, who
won hearts much too eas}- to \-alue their worth.
" You bad bo}-, not e\'en to tell me }-ou were going to
spend the da}- at the Hall," Flora pouted.
" Nor that I could not depend upon )-ou to take my
place at the tenants' grouse drive," added the laird.
" Thought }-ou knew, Flo ;
upon m)- honour."
" How was I to know, Richard, when }-ou did not tell
me, dear? "
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