We are such quiet, old-fashioned folks at Cairnforth, he may come to weary of us, you know.

But my strongest motive is exactly what I stated--that he should be left to himself, to feel his own strength and the strength of those principles which we have tried to give him--that any special character he possesses may have free space to develop itself.

Up to a certain point we can take care of our children; beyond, we can not--nay, we ought not; they must take care of themselves.

I believe--do not be angry, Helen-- but I believe there comes a time in every boy's life when the wisest thing even his mother can do for him is--to leave him alone." "And not watch over him--not to guide him ?" "Yes, but not so as to vex him by the watching and the guiding.
However, we will talk of this another day.

Here the lad comes." And the earl's eyes brightened almost as much as Helen's did when Cardross leaped in at the window, all his good-humor restored, kissed his mother in his rough, fond way, of which he was not in the least ashamed as yet, and sat down by the wheeled chair with that tender respectfulness and involuntary softening of manner and tone which he never failed to show Lord Cairnforth, and had never shown so much to any other human being.
Ay, the earl had his compensations.