"Papa, Papa," she whispered, clinging to him, while her voice broke in a
sob, "you know Allan will not lie. You know it, don't you, Papa?"
"I hope not, dear child, I hope not," he replied, still holding her to
him.
"Papa," she cried wildly, "say you believe me."
"Yes, yes, I do believe you. Thank God, I do believe you. The boy is
straight."
At that word she let him go. That her father should not believe in Allan
was to her loyal heart an intolerable pain. Now Allan would have someone
to stand for him against "that lawyer" and all others who might seek to
do him harm. At the House door she stood watching her father drive down
through the ragged firs to the highroad, and long after he had passed
out of sight she still stood gazing. Upon the church tower rising out of
its birches and its firs her eyes were resting, but her heart was
with the little mound at the tower's foot, and as she gazed, the tears
gathered and fell.
"Oh, Mother!" she whispered. "Mother, Mother! You know Allan would not
lie!"
A sudden storm was gathering. In a brief moment the world and the Glen
had changed. But half an hour ago and the Cuagh Oir was lying glorious
with its flowing gold. Now, from the Cuagh as from her world, the
flowing gold was gone.
CHAPTER III
THE FAMILY SOLICITOR
The senior member of the legal firm of Rae & Macpherson was perplexed
and annoyed, indeed angry, and angry chiefly because he was perplexed.
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