Chapter 24 - Page 2

of its reality. They had no neighbours and
their few stray kinfolk lived at remote distances and were not given to
visits or communications. There had been vague rumours of far away wars
in the years past, but they had assumed no more reality than legends.
This war was a shadow too and after Jock came home one night and
mentioned it as he might have mentioned the death of a cow or the buying
of a moor pony the subject was forgotten by both.

"His lordship" it was who reminded them of it. He even bestowed upon the
rumour a certain reality. He appeared at the stout little old castle one
day without having sent them warning, which was unusual. He came to give
some detailed orders and to instruct them in the matter of changes. He
had shown forethought in bringing with him a selection of illustrated
newspapers. This saved time and trouble in the matter of making the
situation clear. The knowledge which conveyed itself to Maggy and Jock
produced the effect of making them even more silent than usual if such a
condition were possible. They stared fixedly and listened with respect
but beyond a rare "Hech!" they had no opinion to express. It became
plain that the war was more than a mere rumour-- The lads who had been
blown to bits or bayoneted! The widows and orphans that were left! Some
of the youngest of the lads had lost their senses and married young
things only to go off to the ill place folk called "The Front" and leave
them widows in a few days' or weeks' time. There were hundreds of bits
of girls left lonely waiting for their bairns to come into the
world--Some with scarce a penny unless friends took care of them. There
was a bit widow in her teens who was a distant kinswoman of his
lordship's, and her poor lad was among those who were killed. He had
been a fine lad and he would never see his bairn. The poor young widow
had been ill with grief and the doctors said she must be hidden away in
some quiet place where she would never hear of battles or see a
newspaper. She must be kept in peace and taken great care of if she was
to gain strength to live through her time. She had no family to watch
over her and his lordship and an old lady who was fond of her had taken
her trouble in hand. The well-trained woman who had nursed her as a
child would bring her to Darreuch Castle and there would stay.

His lordship had been plainly much interested in the long time past when
he had put the place in order for his own convenience. Now he seemed
even more interested and more serious. He went from room to room with a
grave face and looked things over carefully. He had provided himself
with comforts and even luxuries before his first coming and they had
been of the solid baronial kind which does