ass. For you I would die, and
that is all there is about it," I cried, wildly.

"Well then, take me, Kenneth! I am all yours. Of telling love there will
be many ways in the Gaelic, and I am thinking them all at once."

And this is the plain story of how the great happiness came into Kenneth
Montagu's life, and how, though all unworthy, he won for his own the
daughter of Raasay.

CHAPTER XIV

THE AFTERMATH

At Edinburgh we received check one. Aileen's aunt had left for the
Highlands the week before in a fine rage because the Duke of Cumberland,
who had foisted himself upon her unwilling hospitality, had eaten her out
of house and home, then departing had borne away with him her cherished
household _penates_ to the value of some hundred pounds. Years later Major
Wolfe told me with twinkling eyes the story of how the fiery little lady
came to him with her tale of woe. If she did not go straight to the dour
Duke it was because he was already out of the city and beyond her reach.
Into Wolfe's quarters she bounced, rage and suspicion speaking eloquent in
her manner.

"Hech, sir! Where have ye that Dutch Prince of yours?" she demanded of
Wolfe, her keen eyes ranging over him.

"'Pon honour, madam, I have not him secreted on my person," returned the
Major, gravely turning inside out his pockets for her.

The spirited old lady glowered at him.

"It's ill setting ye to be sae humoursome," she told him frankly. "It wad
be better telling ye to answer ceevilly a ceevil question, my birkie."

"If I can be of any service, madam----"

"Humph, service! And that's just it, my mannie. The ill-faured tykes hae
rampaigned through the house and taen awa' my bonnie silver tea service
that I hae scoured every Monday morning for thirty-seven years come
Michelmas, forby the fine Holland linen that my father, guid carefu' man,
brought frae the continent his nainsel."

"I am sorry----"

"Sorry! Hear till him," she snorted. "Muckle guid your sorrow will do me
unless----" her voice fell to a wheedling cajolery--"you just be a guid
laddie and get me back my linen and the silver."

"The Duke has a partiality for fine bed linen, and quaint silver devices
are almost a mania with him. Perhaps some of your other possessions"--

"His Dutch officers ate me out of house and home. They took awa' eight
sacks of the best lump sugar."

"The army is in need of sugar. I fear it is not recoverable."

Miss MacBean had a way of affecting