"I thought Elizabeth paid those," said Mr. Heron, in a hesitating sort of way.
"Well, she thinks she will do so," said Percival, "and that's all she need know about the matter."
Mr. Colquhoun, to whom Elizabeth had gone for advice on the day after Percival's proposition, was very cautious in what he said to her. "It's the best plan in the world," he remarked, "in one way."
"In what way?" asked Elizabeth, anxiously.
"Well, Mr. Heron goes as your affianced husband, does he not? Of course, he can represent your interests better than anybody else."
"I thought he was going to prevent my interests from being too well represented," said Elizabeth, half-smiling. "I want him to make Mr. Luttrell understand that I have no desire to keep the property at all."
"There is one drawback," said Mr. Colquhoun, "and one that I don't see how Mr. Heron will get over. He has never seen Brian, has he? How will he recognise him? For the lad's probably gone under another name. It's just a wild-goose chase that he's starting upon, I'm afraid."
"They have seen each other."
"Mr. Heron didn't tell me that. And where was it they saw each other, Miss Murray?"
"In Italy—and here. Here at Strathleckie. Oh, Mr. Colquhoun, it was Brian Luttrell who came with us as the boys' tutor, and we did not know. He called himself Stretton." And then Elizabeth shed a small tear or two, although she did not exactly know why.