"
He started to his feet, the muscles of his face working frightfully.
"Send for your horses, Mr. Warlock," he cried. "Have them put to at
once. Four of them, you said. At once--at once! Out of this I must
go. If it be to--itself, go I must and will."
"My lord," said the laird, "I cannot send you from my house in this
weather. As my guest, I am bound to do my best for you; especially
as I understand the country, and you do not. I said you should have
my horses if I thought they could take you through, but I do not
think it. Besides, the change, in my judgment, is a deceitful one,
and this night may be worse than the last. Poor as your
accommodation is, it is better than the open road between this and
Howglen; though, doubtless, before to-morrow morning you would be
snug in the heart of a snow--wreath."
"Look here, sir," said Lord Mergwain, and rising, he went up to the
laird, and laid his hand on his shoulder; "if I stop, will you give
me another room, and promise to share it with me to-night? I am
aware it is an odd request to make, but, as I tell you, we have
been drinking for generations, and my nerves are the worse for it.
It's rather hard that the sins of the fathers should be visited on
the children! Before God, I have enough to do with my own, let
alone my fathers'! Every one should bear his own burden. I can't
bear mine. If I could, it's not much my fathers' would trouble me!"
"My lord, I will do anything I can for you--anything but consent to
your leaving Castle Warlock to-day.
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