All these seventy-five years he has kept truth on his lips, and honor and honesty in his heart.

He has told no man a lie; has overreached and deceived no man; and, though he was poor--poor always; when he married my mother, exceedingly poor--he has literally, from that day to this, 'owed no man any thing but to love one another.' Oh!" cried Helen, looking after the old man in almost a passion of tenderness, "oh that my son may grow up like his grandfather! Like nobody else--only his grandfather." "I think he will," answered Lord Cairnforth.
And, in truth, the accounts they had of young Cardross were for some time extremely satisfactory.

He had accommodated himself to his new life--had taken kindly to his college work; gave no trouble to Mrs.
Menteith, and still less to his uncle; the latter a highly respectable but not very interesting gentleman--a partner in the firm of Menteith and Ross, and lately married to the youngest Miss Menteith.
Still, by his letters, the nephew did not seem overwhelmingly fond of him, complaining sometimes that Uncle Alick interfered with him a little too much; investigated his expenses, made him balance his accounts, and insisted that these should be kept within the limits suitable for Mrs.
Bruce's son and Mr.Cardross's grandson, who would have to work his way in the world as his uncles had done before him.
"You see, Helen," said the earl, "all concealment brings its difficulties.

It would be much easier for the boy if he were told his position and his future career at once--nay, if he had known it from the first." But Helen would not hear of this.

She was obstinate, all but fierce, on the subject.