The herald., 1896-04-26

on Innes' wants in the front parlor.
Tantaene irae? Has the reader caught
the idea? Since Franks coming there were
no more hours of gossip over the supper
tray. All his Establishments were in vain
he had started Handicapped on the race
for Mrs. Elliott's favor
But it was a strange thing how misfor-
tune dogged him in his efforts to be genial.
] must guard the reader against accepting
Kirstie's epithets as evidence; she was
more concerned for their vigor than for
their accuracy. Dwaibly, for instance;
nothing could be more caumnious. Frank
was the very picture Of good looks, good
humor. and manly youth. He had bright
eyes with a sparkle and dance to them,
curly hair a charming smile. brilliant teeth.
an admirable carriage of the head the look
of a gentleman. the address of one accus-
toned to please at first sight and to improve
the impression And with all these advan
tages he failed with everyone about Her.
miston; with the silent shepherd with the
obseluious greve. with the groom who was
also the ploughmap. with the gardener and
the gardeners sister pious down-heart
ed woman with a shawl over her ears-he
failed equally and fatty. They did not like
him. and they showed it. The little maid
indeed was an exception; she admired him
devouuy probably dreamed of him in her
private hours; but she was accustomed to
play the part Of silent auditor to Kirstie's
TRADES and silent recipient of Kirsties buff
fets, and she had learned MOI only to be
very capable girl Of her years but a very
secret and prudent one besides. Frank was
thus conscious that he had one ally and
sympathiZer in the midst of thai general
union OF disfavor that surrounded, watch
ed and waited on him in the house of Her.
miston: but he had little comfort or society
from that alliance. and the demure little
maid twelve on her last birthday preserv-
ed her own counsel and tripped on his
service, brisk, dumbly responsive. but mex
orably unconversational. For the others,
they We're beyond hope and beyond endur-
ance. Never had young Apollo been cast
among such rustic barbarians. But perhaps
the cause of his ill-success lay in one trait
which was habitual and unconscious with
him, yet diagnostc OF the man. 1t was his
practice to approach any one person at the
expense OF someone else. He offered you an
alliance against the someone else: he fiat
tered you by sighting him; you were drawn
into small intrigue against him before
you knew howl Wonderful are the virtues
of this process generally: but Frank mis-
take was in the+choice of the someone else
He was not polite in that; he listened to
the voice Of irritation. Archie had Offend
ed him at first by what he had felt to be
rather dry reception, had offended him
since by his frequent absenDes. He was be-
sides the one figure continually present in
Franks eye: and it was to his immediate
dependents that Frank could offer the share
of his sympathy. Now the truth is that
the Weirs, father and son, were surround
ed by posse of strenuous loyalists. OF my
lord they were vastly proud. 1t was a dis.
tinction in itself to be one of the vassals of
the Hanging Judge" and his gross. formi-
dable joviality was far from unpopular in
the neighborhood of his home For Archie
they had, one and all. a sensitive affection
and respect which recoied from word of
belittlement.
Nor was Frank more successful when he
went farther afield. To the four black
brothers, for instance, he was antpathetic
in the highest degree. Hob thought him
too light. Glib too profane. Glen, who saw
him but for day or two before he went to
Glasgow, wanted to know what the fule's
business was and whether he meant to STAY
here all session time. t'Yon's drone." he
to describe their first meeting. when Frank
had been whipping a river and the rustic
celebrity CHANGED to come along the path
'I'm told you're quite a poet Frank
had said.
"Wha tell It ye that, mannie?' had been
the unconciliating answer
80, everybody" says Frank.
"God! Here's fame,'' said the sardonic
nd ho had no
Come to think of it. We have. here per-
haps a truer explanation of FRANKS fail
ures. Had he met Mr.. Sheriff Scott he
could have turned a neater compliment.
because Mr.. Scott would have been a
friend worth making. Dand, on the other
hand, he did not value siXpence, and he
showed it even while he tried to flatter.
Condescension is an excellent thing but it
is strange how one-sided the pleasure of it
is. He who goes fishing among the Scots
peasantry with condescenson for a bait
will have an empty basket by evening.
In proof of this theory Frank made a
great success Of it at the Crossmichael Club,
to which Archie took him Immediately on
his arrival: his own last appearance on
that scene of gaiety. Frank was made
welcome there at once, continued to go
regularly. and had attended a meeting (as
the members ever after loved to telD on
the evening before his death. Young Hay
and Young Pringle appeared again. There
was another supper at Windielaws, anoth-
er dinner at Driffel; and it resulted in
Frank being taken to the bosom of the
country people as unresevedly as he had
been repudiated by the country folk. He
occupied Hermiston after the manner of
an invader in a cAquered capital. He
was perpetually issuing from it. as from
d base to toddy parties, fishing parties.
and dinner parties, to which Archie was
not invited, or to which Archie would not
go. 1t was now that the name of The Re-
cluse became general for the young man.
Some say that Innes invented it; Innes,
at least. spread it abroad.
"How's all with your Recluse to-day?"
people would ask
90, recusing away" Innes would de-
clare, with his bright air of saying some
thing witty; and Immediately interrupt
the general laughter which he had pro-
voked much more by his air than his
words ''Mind you, it's all very well laugh
ing but I'm not very well pleased. Poor
Archie, is a good fellow, an excellent fell
low, a fellow / always liked. I think it
small of him to take his little disgrace so
so hard and shut himself up Grant that
it it is a ridiculous story painfully ridic-
uIous,' l keep telling him. BE a man!
Live it down, man! But not he. OF course