Fiction > Book editions > London, 1889 - Master of Ballantrae

THE MASTEll's SECOND ABSENCE. 189
" Amcn/^ said I. "I will meddle uo more. I am
pleased euougli that you sLould recognise the kindness
of my meaning-/-'
" Yes/^ said my lady ; " but when it came to tlie
pointj I have to suppose your courage failed you; for
what you said was said cruelly." She pausedj looking
at me ; then suddenly smiled a little, and said a singular
thing: "Do you know what you arc, Mr. Mackellar?
You are an old maid."
No more incident of any note occurred iu the family
until the return of that ill-starred man the INlaster.
But I have to place here a second extract from the
memoirs of Chevalier Burke, interesting in itself, and
highly necessary for my purpose. It is our only sight
of the Master on his Indian travels ; and the first word
in these pages of Secundra Dass. One fact, it is to
observe, appears here very clearly, which if we had
known some twenty years ago, how many calamities and
sorrows had been spared 1 — that Secundra Dass spoke
l-no-lish.