“Oh, yes,” he answered, as if the alternative of going back with them had not presented itself to him. “For one thing, I have got to look out for a place where I can build a house. That is what I mean to do with my savings just at present; and if you would come with me, Johnny, and have a prowl around the island to find out some pretty little bay with a good anchorage in it—for you know I am going to steal that Maighdean-mhara from Mr. Mackenzie—then we can begin and make ourselves architects, and plan out the place that is to be. And then some day—”
Mackenzie had been sitting in mute astonishment, but he suddenly broke in upon his son-in-law. “On this island? No, by Kott, you will not do that! On this island? And with all the people at Stornoway? Hoots, no! that will neffer do. Sheila she has no one to speak to on this island, as a young lass should hef; and you, what would you do yourself in the bad weather? But there is Stornoway. Oh, yes, that is a fine big place, and many people you will get to know there, and you will hef the newspapers and the letters at once: and there will be always boats there that you can go to Oban, to Greenock, to Glasgow—anywhere in the world—whenever you hef a mind to do that; and then when you go to London, as you will hef to go many times, there will be plenty there to look after your house when it is shut up, and keep the rain out, and the paint and the paper good, more as could be done on this island. On this island!—how would you live on this island?”
The old King of Borva spoke quite impatiently and contemptuously of the place. You would have thought his life on this island was a species of penal servitude, and that he dwelt in his solitary house only to think with a vain longing of the glories and delights of Stornoway. Lavender knew well what prompted these scornful comments on Borva. The old man was afraid that the island would really be too dull for Sheila and her husband, and that, whereas the easy compromise of Stornoway might be practicable, to set up house in Borva might lead them to abandon the North altogether.
“From what I have heard of it from Mr. Lavender,” Johnny said with a laugh, “I don’t think this island such a dreadful place; and I’m hanged if I have found it so, so far.”
“But you will know nothing about it—nothing whatever,” said Mackenzie petulantly. “You do not know the bad weather, when you cannot go down the loch to Callernish, and you might have to go to London just then.”
“Well, I suppose London could wait,” Johnny said.
Mackenzie began to get angry with this young man. “You hef not been to Stornoway,” he said, severely.
“No, I haven’t,” Johnny replied with much coolness, “and I don’t hanker after it. I get plenty of town life in London; and when I come up to the sea and the islands, I’d rather pitch my tent with you, sir, than live in Stornoway.”
“Oh, but you don’t know, Johnny, how fine a place Stornoway is,” Lavender said, hastily, for he saw the old man was beginning to get vexed. “Stornoway is a beautiful little town, and it is on the sea, too.”
“And it hass fine houses, and ferry many people, and ferry good society whatever,” Mackenzie added with some touch of indignation.