Plan after plan rose and passed from his mind rejected, and
the only resolution he could come to was to write to Mr Soutar, to
whom he had committed the protection of Kelpie, to send her up by
the first smack from Aberdeen. He did so, and wrote also to Miss
Horn, telling her where he was, then went out, and made his way
back to Portland Place.
Night had closed in, and thick vapours hid the moon, but lamps and
lighted windows illuminated the wide street. Presently it began
to snow. But through the snow and the night went carriages in all
directions, with great lamps that turned the flakes into white stars
for a moment as they gleamed past. The hoofs of the horses echoed
hard from the firm road.
Could that house really belong to him? It did, yet he dared not
enter it. That which was dear and precious to him was in the house,
and just because of that he could not call it his own. There was
less light in it than in any other within his range. He walked
up and down the opposite side of the street its whole length some
fifty times, but saw no sign of vitality about the house. At length
a brougham stopped at the door, and a man got out and knocked.
Malcolm instantly crossed, but could not see his face. The door
opened, and he entered. The brougham waited. After about a quarter
of an hour he came out again, accompanied by two ladies, one of
whom he judged by her figure to be Florimel.
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