First of all, Malcolm acknowledged and the date of his mother's death
known, what would Florimel be in the eyes of the world? Supposing the
world deceived by the statement that his mother died when he was born,
where yet was the future he had marked out for her? He had no money to
leave her, and she must be helplessly dependent on her brother.
Malcolm, on the other hand, might make a good match, or, with the
advantages he could secure him in the army, still better in the navy,
well enough push his way in the world.
Miss Horn could produce no testimony, and Mrs. Catanach had asserted
him to be the son of Mrs. Stewart. He had seen enough, however, to
make him dread certain possible results if Malcolm were acknowledged
as the laird of Kirkbyres. No: there was but one hopeful measure, one
which he had even already approached in a tentative way--an appeal,
namely, to Malcolm himself, in which, while acknowledging his probable
rights, but representing in the strongest manner the difficulty of
proving them, he would set forth in their full dismay the consequences
to Florimel of their public recognition, and offer, upon the pledge
of his word to a certain line of conduct, to start him in any path he
chose to follow.
Having thought the thing out pretty thoroughly, as he fancied, and
resolved at the same time to feel his way toward negotiations with
Mistress Catanach, he turned and rode home.
After a tolerable dinner he was sitting over a bottle of the port
which he prized beyond anything else his succession had brought
him, when the door of the dining-room opened suddenly and the butler
appeared, pale with terror.
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