I shall only be too happy to do what I can."
"Then I'll tell you.--But you're not to tell anybody: it's a
secret.--I have discovered that there is no suitable portrait of
Lady Lossie's father. It is a great pity. His brother and his father
and grandfather are all in Portland Place, in Highland costume,
as chiefs of their clan; his place only is vacant. Lady Lossie,
however, has in her possession one or two miniatures of him, which,
although badly painted, I should think may give the outlines of
his face and head with tolerable correctness. From the portraits
of his predecessors, and from Lady Lossie herself, I gain some
knowledge of what is common to the family; and from all together
I hope to gather and paint what will be recognizable by her as
a likeness of her father--which afterwards I hope to better by
her remarks. These remarks I hope to get first from her feelings
unadulterated by criticism, through the surprise of coming upon
the picture suddenly; afterwards from her judgment at its leisure.
Now I remember seeing you wait at table--the first time I saw
you--in the Highland dress: will you come to me so dressed, and
let me paint from you?"
"I'll do better than that, sir," cried Malcolm, eagerly. "I'll get
up from Lossie Home my lord's very dress that he wore when he went
to court--his jewelled dirk, and Andrew Ferrara broadsword with
the hilt of real silver.
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