'I fear,' I stammered, 'we are trespassing. But—but my brother and I ran down from London to say good-bye to Coila. We will go at once.'
'Stay one moment,' said the gentleman. 'Do not run away without explaining. You have been here before?'
'We are the young M'Crimmans of Coila, sir.'
I spoke sadly—I trust not fiercely.
'Pardon me, but something seemed to tell me you were. We are pleased to meet you. Irene, my daughter. It is no fault of ours—at least, of mine—that your family and the M'Raes were not friendly long ago.' 68
'But my father would have made friends with the chief of Strathtoul,' I said.
'Yes, and mine had old Highland prejudices. But look, yonder comes a thunder-shower. You must stay till it is over.'
'I feel, sir,' I said, 'that I am doing wrong, and that I have done wrong. My father, even, does not know we are here. He has prejudices now, too,'
'Well,' said the officer, laughing, 'my father is in France. Let us both be naughty boys. You must come and dine with me and my daughter, anyhow. Bother old-fashioned blood-feuds! We must not forget that we are living in the nineteenth century.'
I hesitated a moment, then I glanced at the girl, and next minute we were all walking together towards the castle.