I. [NEWS AT LAST!]
II. [THE COINCIDENCE]
III. [EAGLESCRAIG ONCE MORE]
IV. [THE DIVIDED PAIR]
V. [A STRANGE ACCUSATION]
VI. [A FATAL PROOF FOUND]
VII. [CECIL'S VISITOR]
VIII. [BAFFLED!]
IX. [CROSS PURPOSES]
X. [THE TELEGRAM]
XI. [A DARK PREDICTION]
XII. [THE RECONNAISSANCE]
XIII. [THE WAYSIDE CHAPEL]
XIV. [THE BATTLE OF ZAITCHAR]
XV. [A RIDE FOR LIFE OR DEATH!]
XVI. [WHAT THE 'TIMES' TOLD]
XVII. [MARY'S LETTER]
XVIII. [THE HEIGHTS OF DJUNIS]
XIX. [WOUNDED]
XX. [SAVED!]
XXI. ['THE END CROWNS ALL']
THE CAMERONIANS.
CHAPTER I.
NEWS AT LAST!
From such terrible episodes and scenes as those that close our last chapter, and from such a land of wild barbarity, we gladly turn homewards for a time.
It was summer; and the season had scattered its roses and their leaves lavishly over the old Scoto-French garden of Eaglescraig, for such it was, with its closely-clipped privet hedges, its long grass walks, balustraded terraces, mossy sundials, and parterres, where deep box-edging was alternated by flower borders running along the paths, and where wall-flowers, sweet-williams, and tiger lilies, with moss and Provence roses, were varied by espaliers that in the coming time would be laden with fruit.
The summer was in its glory, but there was not much brightness within the house of Eaglescraig. So Cecil, who had latterly met with such scanty kindness from Sir Piers, was actually his grandson, and the honours of the old line were perhaps neither to die out, or pass to a far-away branch, after all!
John Balderstone had proved all this, and great were the content and glee thereat among the old visitors of the mansion; there being no regrets for Hew being 'scratched,' as he called it, 'and out of the running now,' for his general bearing had rendered him obnoxious to every one.
'So the whirligig of time brings about its revenge,' said old Tunley, the butler; 'pride always goes before a fall.'
'Yes!' coincided John Balderstone, with an angry smirk on his face; 'now, Master Hew may go to Hecklebirnie!'