He had been telling Helen of the grand house he was going to build on the new estate he had just bought; and he was now calmly considering how to carry out his plans on the most magnificent scale, for he had firmly determined there should be neither Keep nor Castle in the North Country as splendid as the new Crawfords' Home.
He greeted Tallisker with a peculiar kindness, and held his hand almost lovingly.

His friendship for the dominie--if he had known it--was a grain of salt in his fast deteriorating life.

He did not notice the dominie's stern preoccupation, he was so full of his own new plans.

He began at once to lay them before his old friend; he had that very day got the estimates from the Edinburgh architect.
Tallisker looked at them a moment with a gathering anger.

Then he pushed them passionately away, saying in a voice that was almost a sob, "I darena look at them, laird; I darena look at them! Do you ken that there are fourteen cases o' typhus in them colliers' cottages you built?
Do you remember what Mr.Selwyn said about the right o' laborers to pure air and pure water?
I knew he was right then, and yet, God forgive me! I let you tak your ain way.