men soul and body. I would have you understand
that, daughter, and maybe ye will walk with him less in the
pleasaunce." Both women were standing, and Lady Cochrane was watching
Jean to see whether she had touched her. Her daughter gave no sign
except that her face was hardening, and she tapped the floor with her
foot.

"Ye may not have heard of Helen Graham, for she belongs to another
world from ours, and one I pray God ye may never see the inside of,
for a black clan to Scotland have been the Grahams from the Marquis
himself, who was a traitor to the Covenant and a scourge to Israel, to
this bonnie kinsman of his, who has the face of a woman and the dress
of a popinjay and the heart of a fiend. Now, it happens that this fair
lass, whom I pity both for her blood and for her company, for indeed
she is a daughter of Heth and hath the portion of her people, is
heiress to the Earl of Monteith, and whaso-ever marries her will
succeed to what money there is and will be an earl in his own richt. A
fine prize for an avaricious and ambitious worldling.

"For years, then, as I was saying, Claverhouse has been scheming
and plotting to capture Helen Graham and to make himself Earl o'
Monteith. It wasna sic easy work as shootin' God's people on the
hillside, and for a while the sun didna shine on his game. Some say
the Marquis wanted her for himself, and then John Graham of
Claverhouse would have to go behind like a little dog to his
master's heel. Some say that her father had some compunction in
handing over his daughter into sic cruel hands. Some say that the
lass had a lover of her own, though that is neither here nor there
with her folk. But it's no easy throwing a bloodhound off the
track, and now I hear he has gained his purpose, and afore he left
the Court and came back to his evil trade in Scotland the contract
of marriage was settled, and ane o' these days we will be hearing
that a Graham has married a Graham, and that both o' them have gotten
the portion that belongeth to the unrighteous. Ye ken, Jean, that I
have never loved the foolish gossip which fills the minds o' idle
folk when they had better be readin' their Bibles and praying for
their souls, but I judged it expedient that ye should know that
Claverhouse is as gude as a married man."

"If he were not," said Jean, looking steadily at her mother, and
drawing herself up to her full height, "there is little danger he
would come to Paisley Castle for his love, or f