IN THE HIGHLANDS 209 



Conon gardener, our sexton when needed, with the grave 

 all ready. After a Burial Service, we gently laid all 

 that was earthly of dear, dear Kythe to rest in the grave 

 till the Resurrection/' 



I should like to finish this chapter with a description 

 of a contested Parliamentary election in the county, 

 which, of course, included the Lews. I was but a boy 

 of six at the time, and my mother took a keen interest 

 and part in the contest. 



The Gairlochs had always been strong Conservatives, 

 and had invariably voted for old Mackenzie of Applecross, 

 who had, I think, been M.P. for the county for many 

 years. Now, my mother did not happen to like old 

 Applecross; and besides, she was of a Quaker family 

 herself, and, like most of her people, a strong Whig; 

 so she set herself heart and soul to help the opposing 

 Liberal candidate. Sir James Matheson, who had just 

 before this come back as a very rich man from China, and 

 had bought the Lews from the Seaforth Mackenzies. 

 My mother got, I believe, every voter on the Gairloch 

 estate to vote for Sir James, and Sir James's majority 

 in the county exactly equalled the number of the 

 Gairloch voters. Lady Matheson and he never forgot 

 the good turn my mother had done them, and, from the 

 time I was a boy of ten till I was a middle-aged man 

 with a nearly grown-up daughter, I was always looked 

 upon (as dear Lady Matheson expressed it) as enfant 

 de la maison, and welcome to stay at the castle as long 

 as I liked. 



Before saying more about this election I must tell a 



14 



