John Buchan

The Half-Hearted John Buchan

Book Excerpt: ...ipating some gamekeeper or shepherd."Lewie is my nephew. He lives at Etterick, up at the head of the glen."Miss Afflint spoke for the first time. "A very good man. You should know Lewie, Miss Wishart. I'm sure you would like him. He is a great traveller, you know, and has written a famous book. Lewis Haystoun is his full name.""Why, I have read it," cried Alice. "You mean the book about Kashmir. But I thought the author was an old man.""Lewie is not very old," said his aunt; "but I haven't seen him for years, so he may be decrepit by this time. He is coming home soon, he says, but he never writes. I know two of his friends who pay a Private Inquiry Office to send them news of him."Alice laughed and became silent. What merry haphazard people were these she had fallen among! At home everything was docketed and ordered. Meals were immovable feasts, the hour for bed and the hour for rising were more regular than the sun's. Her father was full of proverbs on the virtue of regularity, and was wo...