At this moment, indeed, sounds of the approaching party were heard, and when Lavender and his friends went to the door the pony, with the deer slung on to him, was just coming up. It was a sufficiently picturesque sight—the rude little sheiling with its peat fire, the brown and wiry gillies, the slain deer roped on to the pony, and all around the wild magnificence of hill and valley clothed in moving mists. The rain had indeed cleared off, but these pale white fogs still clung around the mountains and rendered the valleys vague, and Lavender informed Neil that he would make no further effort that day; he gave the men a glass of whisky all round, and then, with his friends, he proceeded to make his way down to the small white cottage fronting the Sound of Islay, which had been his home for months back.
Just before setting off, however, he managed to take young Mosenberg aside for a moment. “I suppose,” he said, with his eyes cast down—“I suppose you heard something from Ingram of—of Sheila?”
“Yes,” said the lad, rather bashfully. “Ingram had heard from her. She was still in Lewis.”
“And well?”
“I think so—yes,” said Mosenberg; and then he added, with some hesitation, “I should like to speak to you about it when we have the opportunity. There were some things that Mr. Ingram said—I am sure he would like you to know them.”
“There was no message to me?” Lavender asked, in a low voice.
“From her? No. But it was the opinion of Mr. Ingram—”
“Oh, never mind that, Mosenberg,” said the other, turning away wearily. “I suppose you won’t find it too fatiguing to walk from here back? It will warm you, you know, and the old woman down there will get you something to eat. You may make it luncheon or dinner, as you like, for it will be nearly two by the time you get down. Then you can go for a prowl around the coast: if it does not rain I shall be working as long as there is daylight. Then we can have a dinner and supper combined in the evening. You will get venison and whisky.”
“Don’t you ever have anything else?”
“Oh, yes, the venison will be in honor of you: I generally have mutton and whisky.”