You
have felt, and you have been pleased to express, a doubt of me. I tear
them up." Which you may be sure I did thoroughly.

"There's a good lad!" said the dragon, and immediately led the way to
the front lawn.

The brother and sister were both waiting us here, and, as well as I
could make out in the imperfect light, bore every appearance of having
passed through a rather cruel experience. Ronald seemed ashamed to so
much as catch my eye in the presence of his aunt, and was the picture of
embarrassment. As for Flora, she had scarce the time to cast me one look
before the dragon took her by the arm, and began to march across the
garden in the extreme first glimmer of the dawn without exchanging
speech. Ronald and I followed in equal silence.

There was a door in that same high wall on the top of which I had sat
perched no longer gone than yesterday morning. This the old lady set
open with a key; and on the other side we were aware of a rough-looking,
thick-set man, leaning with his arms (through which was passed a
formidable staff) on a dry-stone dyke. Him the old lady immediately
addressed.

"Sim," said she, "this is the young gentleman."

Sim replied with an inarticulate grumble of sound, and a movement of one
arm and his head, which did duty for a salutation.

"Now, Mr. St. Ives," said the old lady, "it's high time for you to be
taking the road. But first of all let me give the change of your
five-guinea bill. Here are four pounds of it in British Linen notes, and
the balance in small silver, less sixpence. Some charge a shilling, I
believe, but I have given you the benefit of the doubt. See and guide it
with all the sense that you possess."

"And here, Mr. St. Ives," said Flora, speaking for the first time, "is a
plaid which you will find quite necessary on so rough a journey. I hope
you will take it from the hands of a Scots friend," she added, and her
voice trembled.

"Genuine holly: I cut it myself," said Ronald, and gave me as good a
cudgel as a man could wish for in a row.

The formality of these gifts, and the waiting figure of the drover,
told me loudly that I must be gone. I dropped on one knee and bade
farewell to the aunt, kissing her hand. I did the like--but with how
different a passion!--to her niece; as for the boy, I took him to my
arms and embraced him with a cordiality that seemed to strike him
speechless. "Farewell!" and "Farewell!" I said. "I shall never forget my
friends. Keep me some