her cousin thought, as
he always did whenever he came into her presence. She was one of those
people whose beauty is always a fresh surprise, and she was far more
self-possessed than he was.

"So, Cousin Harry, where am I to begin my congratulations! I did you and
unwitting service when I sent your daughter to search among those musty
old parchments. I knew my father believed in the existence of some such
document, but I thought all those hoards in Delavie House were devoid
of all legal importance, and had been sifted again and again. Besides, I
always meant to settle that old house upon you."

"I have always heard so, cousin," he answered.

"But it was such a mere trifle," she added, "that it never seemed worth
while to set the lawyers to work about that alone, so I waited for other
work to be in hand."

"There is a homely Scottish proverb, my Lady, which declares that the
scrapings of the muckle pot are worth the wee pot fu'. A mere trifle to
you is affluence to us."

"I am sincerely rejoiced at it, Harry" (no doubt she thought she was),
"you will keep up the old name, while my scrupulous lord and master
gives up my poor patrimony to the extortionate creditors for years to
come. It is well that the young lovers have other prospects. So Harry,
you see after all, I kept my word, and your daughter is provided for,"
she continued with an arch smile. "Pretty creature, I find my son bears
me more malice than she does for the robbery that was perpetrated on
her. It was too tempting, Harry. Nature will repair her loss, but at out
time of life we must beg, borrow, or steal."

"That was the least matter," said the Major gravely.

"This is the reason why I wished to see you," said my Lady, laying her
white hand on his, "I wanted to explain."

"Cousin, cousin, had not you better leave it alone?" said Major Delavie.
"You know you can always talk a poor man out of his senses at the
moment."

"Yet listen, Harry, and understand my troubles. Here I was pledged,
absolutely pledged, to give my son to Lady Aresfield's daughter. I do
not know whether she may not yet sue me for breach of contract, though
Wayland has repaid her the loans she advanced me; and on the other hand,
in spite of all my precautions, Mar had obtained a sight of your
poor daughter, and I knew him well enough to be aware that to put her
entirely and secretly out of his reach was the only chance preserving
her from his pursuit. I had excellent accounts of th