He did not altogether trust the marquis, but he had always taken a delight in doing anything for anybody—a delight rooted in a natural tendency to ministration, unusually strong, and specially developed by the instructions of Alexander Graham conjoined with the necessities of his blind grandfather; while there was an alluring something, it must be confessed, in the marquis’s high position —which let no one set down to Malcolm’s discredit: whether the subordination of class shall go to the development of reverence or of servility, depends mainly on the individual nature subordinated. Calvinism itself has produced as many loving children as abject slaves, with a good many between partaking of the character of both kinds. Still, as he pondered over the matter on his way, he shrunk a good deal from placing himself at the beck and call of another; it threatened to interfere with that sense of personal freedom which is yet dearer perhaps to the poor than to the rich. But he argued with himself that he had found no infringement of it under Blue Peter; and that, if the marquis were really as friendly as he professed to be, it was not likely to turn out otherwise with him.
Lady Florimel anticipated pleasure in Malcolm’s probable consent to her father’s plan; but certainly he would not have been greatly uplifted by a knowledge of the sort of pleasure she expected. For some time the girl had been suffering from too much liberty. Perhaps there is no life more filled with a sense of oppression and lack of freedom than that of those under no external control, in whom Duty has not yet gathered sufficient strength to assume the reins of government and subject them to the highest law. Their condition is like that of a creature under an exhausted receiver—oppressed from within outwards for want of the counteracting external weight. It was amusement she hoped for from Malcolm’s becoming in a sense one of the family at the House—to which she believed her knowledge of the extremely bare outlines of his history would largely contribute.
He was shown at once into the presence of his lordship, whom he found at breakfast with his daughter.
“Well, MacPhail,” said the marquis, “have you made up your mind to be my skipper?”
“Wullin’ly, my lord,” answered Malcolm.
“Do you know how to manage a sail-boat?”
“I wad need, my lord.”
“Shall you want any help?”
“That depen’s upo’ saiveral things—her ain size, the wull o’ the win’, an’ whether or no yer lordship or my leddy can tak the tiller.”
“We can’t settle about that then till she comes. I hear she’ll soon be on her way now.—But I cannot have you dressed like a farmer!” said his lordship, looking sharply at the Sunday clothes which Malcolm had donned for the visit.