I shall send you a wire as soon as
    ever I can see my way to get through my work; and I want you to think
    over all the things you ever wished for in your life, so that I
    may--if there is any mortal way of doing so--get them for you. You
    will not stand in the way of my having this great pleasure, will you,
    dear? Good-bye. Your loving
                                                                   RUPERT. _E. B. Trent's Memoranda_. _January_ 6, 1907. The formal meeting of Sir Colin and myself with Rupert Sent Leger
    went off quite satisfactorily. From what he had said yesterday, and
    again last night, I had almost come to expect an unreserved
    acceptance of everything stated or implied in Roger Melton's Will;
    but when we had sat round the table--this appeared, by the way, to be
    a formality for which we were all prepared, for we sat down as if by
    instinct--the very first words he said were:

    "As I suppose I must go through this formality, I may as well say at
    once that I accept every possible condition which was in the mind of
    Uncle Roger; and to this end I am prepared to sign, seal, and
    deliver--or whatever is the ritual--whatever document you,
    sir"--turning to me--"may think necessary or advisable, and of which
    you both approve." He stood up and walked about the room for a few
    moments, Sir Colin and I sitting quite still, silent. He came back
    to his seat, and after a few seconds of nervousness--a rare thing
    with him, I fancy--said: "I hope you both understand--of course, I
    know you do; I only speak because this is an occasion for
    formality--that I am willing to accept, and at once! I do so,
    believe me, not to get possession of this vast fortune, but because
    of him who has given it. The man who was fond of me, and who trusted
    me, and yet had strength to keep his own feelings in check--who
    followed me in spirit to far lands and desperate adventures, and who,
    though he might be across the world from me, was ready to put out a
    hand to save or help me, was no common man; and his care of my
    mother's son meant no common love for my dear mother. And so she and
    I together accept his trust, come of it what may. I have been
    thinking it over all night, and all the time I could not get out of
    the idea that mother was somewhere near me. The only thought that
    could debar me from doing as I wished to do--and intend to do--would
    be that she would not approve. Now that I am satisfied she would
    approve, I accept. Whatever may result or happen, I shall go on
    following the course that he has set for me. So help me, God!" Sir
    Colin stood up, and I must say a more martial figure I never saw. He
    was in full uniform, for he was going on to the King's levee after
    our business. He drew his sword from the scabbard and laid it naked
    on the table before Rupert, and said:

    "You are going, sir, into a strange and danger country--I have been
    reading about it since we met--and you will be largely alone amongst
    fierce mountaineers who resent the very presence of a stranger, and
    to whom you are, and must be, one. If you should ever be in any
    trouble and want a man to stand back to back with you, I hope you
    will give me the honour!" As he said this pointed to his sword. Rupert and I were also standing now--one cannot sit down in the
    presence of such an act as that. "You are, I am proud to say, allied
    with my family: and I only wish to God it was closer to myself." Rupert took him by the hand and bent his head before him as answered:

    "The honour is mine, Sir Colin; and no greater can come to any man
    than that which you have just done me. The best way I can show how I
    value it will be to call on you if I am ever in such a tight place. By Jove, sir, this is history repeating itself. Aunt Janet used to
    tell me when I was a youngster how MacKelpie of Croom laid his sword
    before Prince Charlie. I hope I may tell her of this; it would make
    her so proud and happy. Don't imagine, sir, that I am thinking
    myself a Charles Edward. It is only that Aunt Janet is so good to me
    that I might well think I was." Sir Colin bowed grandly:

    "Rupert Sent Leger, my dear niece is a woman of great discretion and
    discernment. And, moreover, I am thinking she has in her some of the
    gift of Second Sight that has been a heritage of our blood. And I am
    one with my niece--in everything!" The whole thing was quite regal
    in manner; it seemed to take me back to the days of the Pretender. It was not, however, a time for sentiment, but for action--we had met
    regarding the future, not the past; so I produced the short document
    I had already prepared. On the strength of his steadfast declaration
    that he would accept the terms of the Will and the secret letters, I
    had got ready a formal acceptance. When I had once again formally
    asked Mr. Sent Leger's wishes, and he had declared his wish to
    accept, I got in a couple of my clerks as witnesses. Then, having again asked him in their presence if it was his wish to
    declare acceptance of the conditions, the document was signed and
    witnessed, Sir Colin and I both appending our signatures to the
    Attestation. And so the first stage of Rupert Sent Leger's inheritance is
    completed. The next step will not have to be undertaken on my part
    until the expiration of six months from his entry on his estate at
    Vissarion. As he announces his intention of going within a
    fortnight, this will mean practically a little over six months from
    now. BOOK II: VISSARION


_Letter from Rupert Sent Leger_, _Castle of Vissarion_, _the Spear of
Ivan_, _Land of the Blue Mountains_, _to Miss Janet MacKelpie_, _Croom
Castle_, _Ross-shire_, _N.B._

                                                       _January_ 23, 1907. MY DEAREST AUNT JANET,

    As you see, I am here at last. Having got my formal duty done, as
    you made me promise--my letters reporting arrival to Sir Colin and
    Mr. Trent are lying sealed in front of me ready to post (for nothing
    shall go before yours)--I am free to speak to you. This is a most lovely place, and I hope you will like it. I am quite
    sure you will. We passed it in the steamer coming from Trieste to
    Durazzo. I knew the locality from the chart, and it was pointed out
    to me by one of the officers with whom I had become quite friendly,
    and who kindly showed me interesting places whenever we got within
    sight of shore. The Spear of Ivan, on which the Castle stands, is a
    headland running well out into the sea. It is quite a peculiar
    place--a sort of headland on a headland, jutting out into a deep,
    wide bay, so that, though it is a promontory, it is as far away from
    the traffic of coast life as anything you can conceive.