After Burke brings the news that James Durie is still alive, how are matters altered between Henry Durie and his wife? How does Mr. Mackellar account for Henry’s intermittent sharpness to his family (71-72)?

Under what conditions does Henry continue to send money to his brother? What do you think are his motives? What intervention does Mr. Mackellar try, and what are the short term and long term results? How does Mr. Mackellar characterize his own emotions on the subject of romantic passion? (75)

What motivates James to return home? What attitudes does he exhibit towards his brother, Mr. Mackellar, Alison, and his father? What detail about the suitcases does Mr. Mackellar note as he drags them to the house?

What events transpire during James’s visit, and to what does Mr. Mackellar attribute his change of behavior when his father and Alison are present? (85) How do events conspire to make Henry seem apparently rude and thoughtless? Do you find this sequence of events and incidents plausible?

What does Henry discover about his brother’s relationship with the government? What motivates Henry to alienate a piece of the ancestral land? To whom does he feel this might be an injustice? (94) What is the result of the discovery of James’s secret occupation? (97-98)

What opinion does James express concerning Henry’s character? (102) Do you think he may be sincere? What incident prompts their duel? What prevents Mr. Mackellar from stopping the duel? (Do you find this convincing?)

What are important circumstances of the fight? What are Henry’s motives for fighting? How does Mr. Mackellar break the news of James’s supposed death to Alison and the elder Mr. Durie? (108-113)

How do Lord Durrisdeer and Alison respond to the news? What discoveries does Mr. Mackellar make in examining James’ luggage? From the freebooters what later information does he obtain? At this point, do you think the reader feels relief or anxiety?

What are supposedly peculiar features of Henry’s illness? What is the effect of our learning of events through the perspective of Mr. Mackellar? What do you think of the motives and wisdom of Alison’s destruction of James’s letters on behalf of his spying missions?

What motive is given for James’s silence about his dueling wounds? (121) Do you find this convincing?

What interpretation does Henry give when he learns of James’s survival? At this point, in what context do you interpret his relationship with his brother?

What is unexpected about Henry’s reaction to the death of his father? How can you explain this? Do you see evidence for a change in Henry’s character? (135) What were some effects of his absorption in his younger child? (136-37)

What effect is created by the interpolation of “R. L. S.” to edit a portion of Mr. Mackellar’s narrative and to anticipate the future? (137)

What does the reader learn from Francis Burke’s account of his meeting with “the Master of Ballantrae” in India? Do you think Mr. Mackellar’s gloss is likely accurate? Would the omitted material (144) have likely been important? What is the effect of including references to unavailable evidence?

If asked to summarize the chief formal structuring devices of the narrative thus far, what features would you cite?