"I shall make it my business to see you are supplied," said I.

"Why, very good," said he, "and we shall make a man of you yet, Mr.
David."

By this time, I can hardly say that I was minding him at all, beyond an
odd thought of the kind of father-in-law that he was like to prove; and
all my cares centred about the lass his daughter, to whom I determined
to convey some warning of her visitor. I stepped to the door
accordingly, and cried through the panels, knocking thereon at the same
time: "Miss Drummond, here is your father come at last."

With that I went forth upon my errand, having (by two words)
extraordinarily damaged my affairs.

* * * * *




CHAPTER XXVI

THE THREESOME


Whether or not I was to be so much blamed, or rather perhaps pitied, I
must leave others to judge of. My shrewdness (of which I have a good
deal, too) seems not so great with the ladies. No doubt, at the moment
when I awaked her, I was thinking a good deal of the effect upon James
More; and similarly when I returned and we were all sat down to