The excitement of perpetual expectation--the preparing for some catastrophe, which he felt sure was to follow, and the incessant labor entailed by his wide enquiries, in which he had no confidant but Mr.Mearns, the clerk, and him he trusted as little as possible, lest any suspicion or disgrace should fall upon Helen's husband--all this kept him in a state of unnatural activity and strength.
But when the need for action died away; when Helen's letters betrayed nothing; and when, though she did not return, and while expressing most bitter regret, yet gave sufficiently valid reasons for not returning in her husband's still delicate health--after June, Lord Cairnforth fell into a condition, less of physical than mental sickness, which lasted a long time, and was very painful to himself, as well as to those that loved him.

He was not ill, but his usual amount of strength--so small always--became much reduced; neither was he exactly irritable -- his sweet temper never could sink into irritability; but he was, as Malcolm expressed it, "dour," difficult to please; easily fretted about trifles; inclined to take sad and cynical views of things.
This might have been increased by certain discoveries, which, during the summer, when he came to look into his affairs, Lord Cairnforth made.

He found that money which he had entrusted to Captain Bruce for various purposes had been appropriated, or misappropriated, in different ways -- conduct scarcely exposing the young man to legal investigation, and capable of being explained away as "carelessness"-- "unpunctuality in money matters"-- and so on, but conduct of which no strictly upright, honorable person would ever have been guilty.

This fact accounted for another--the captain's having expressed ardent gratitude for a sum which he said the earl had given him for his journey and marriage expenses, which, though Mr.Cardross's independent spirit rather revolted from the gift, at least satisfied him about Helen's comfort during her temporary absence.

And once more, for Helen's sake, the earl kept silence.