In the meantime Joris was suffering as only such deep natures can suffer.  There are domestic fatalities which the wisest and tenderest of parents seem impotent to contend with.  Joris had certainly been alarmed by Semple’s warning; but in forbidding his daughter to visit Mrs. Gordon, and in permitting the suit of Neil Semple, he thought he had assured her safety.  Through all the past weeks, he had seen no shadow on her face.  The fear had died out, and the hope had been slowly growing; so that Captain Hyde’s proposal, and his positive assertion that Katherine loved him, had fallen upon the father’s heart with the force of a blow, and the terror of a shock.  And the sting of the sorrow was this,—­that his child had deceived him.  Certainly she had not spoken false words, but truth can be outraged by silence quite as cruelly as by speech.

After Hyde’s departure, he shut the door of his office, walked to the window, and stood there some minutes, clasping and unclasping his large hands, like a man full of grief and perplexity.  Ere long he remembered his friend Semple.  This trouble concerned him also, for Captain Hyde was in a manner his guest; and, if he were informed of the marriage arranged between Katherine and Neil Semple, he would doubtless feel himself bound in honour to retire.  Elder Semple had opened his house to Colonel Gordon, his wife and nephew.  For months they had lived in comfort under his roof, and been made heartily welcome to the best of all he possessed.  Joris put himself in Hyde’s place; and he was certain, that, under the same circumstances, he would feel it disgraceful to interfere with the love-affairs of his host’s son.

He found Semple with his hat in his hand, giving his last orders before leaving business for the day; but when Joris said, “There is trouble, and your advice I want,” he returned with him to the back of the store, where, through half-opened shutters, the sunshine and the river-breeze stole into an atmosphere laden with the aromas of tea and coffee and West Indian produce.

In a few short, strong sentences, Joris put the case before Semple.  The latter stroked his right knee thoughtfully, and listened.  But his first words were not very comforting:  “I must say, that it is maistly your own fault, Joris.  You hae given Neil but a half welcome, and you should hae made a’ things plain and positive to Katherine.  Such skimble-skamble, yea and nay kind o’ ways willna do wi’ women.  Why didna you say to her, out and out, ‘I hae promised you to Neil Semple, my lassie.  He’ll mak’ you the best o’ husbands; you’ll marry him at the New Year, and you’ll get gold and plenishing and a’ things suitable’?”

“So young she is yet, Elder.”