him. "Etterick is his, and really all the land round here. We simply
live on a patch in the middle of it. The shooting is splendid, and
Lewie is a very keen sportsman. His mother was my husband's sister, and
died when he was born. He is wonderfully unspoiled to have had such a
lonely boyhood."

"How did the family get the land?" he asked. It was a matter which
interested him, for democratic politician though he was, he looked
always forward to the day when he should own a pleasant country
property, and forget the troubles of life in the Nirvana of the
respectable.

"Oh, they've had it for ages. They are a very old family, you know, and
look down upon us as parvenus. They have been everything in their
day--soldiers, statesmen, lawyers; and when we were decent merchants in
Abbeykirk three centuries ago, they were busy making history. When you
go to Etterick you must see the pictures. There is a fine one by
Jameson of the Haystoun who fought with Montrose, and Raeburn painted
most of the Haystouns of his time. They were a very handsome race, at
least the men; the women were too florid and buxom for my taste."

"And this Lewis--is he the only one of the family?"

"The very last, and of course he does his best to make away with himself
by risking his precious life in Hindu Kush or Tibet or somewhere." Her
ladyship was geographically vague.

"What a pity he does not realize his responsibilities!" said the
politician. "He might do so much."