t-grandfather came to know me again, though his mind was in a
disordered, dreary condition; from old age, Elspeth said, but it often
recalled what I had heard of the state of his mother's intellect before
her death. The dear little old lady's intellects were quite bright, and,
happily, not only entire, but cultivated. I do not know how people who
think babies and servants are a woman's only legitimate interests would
like to live with women who have either never met with, or long
outlived them. I know how my dear granny's educated mind and sense of
humour helped us over a dozen little domestic difficulties, and broke
the neck of fidgets that seemed almost inevitable at her great age and
in that confined sphere of interests.

I certainly faded in our twilight existence, as if there were some truth
in the strange old theory that very aged people can withdraw vital force
from young companions and live upon it. But every day and hour of my
stay made me love and reverence my great-grandmother more and more, and
be more and more glad that I had come to know her, and perhaps be of
some little service to her.

Indeed, it was my great-grandfather's condition that kept us so much
among the shadows. The old lady had a delightful youthfulness of spirit,
and took an almost wistful pleasure in hearing about our life at the
Arkwrights', as if some ambitious Scotch blood in her would fain have
kept better pace with the currents of the busy world. But when my
grandfather joined us, we had to change the subject. Modern ideas jarred
upon him. And it was seldom that he was not with us. The tender love
between the old couple was very touching.

"It must seem strange to you, my dear, to think of such long lives so
little broken by events," said my great-grandmother. "But your dear
grandfather and I have never been apart for a day since our happy
marriage."

I do not think they were apart for an hour whilst I was with them. He
followed her about the house, if she left him for many minutes, crying,
"Victoire! Victoire!" chiefly from love, but I was sometimes spiteful
enough to think also because he could not amuse himself.

"The master's calling for you again," said Elspeth, with some
impatience, one day when grandmamma was teaching me a bit of dainty
cookery in the kitchen.

"Oh, fly, petite!" she cried to me; "and say that his Majesty has
summoned the Duchess."

Much bewildered, I ran out, and met my great-grandfather on the terrace,