him satirically.
"Well? have you got the water? or have you used it all for the sherry?"

Mr. Bishopriggs stopped in the middle of the room, thunder-struck at the
aspersion cast on the wine.

"Is that the way ye talk of the auldest bottle o' sherry wine in
Scotland?" he asked, gravely. "What's the warld coming to? The new
generation's a foot beyond my fathoming. The maircies o' Providence, as
shown to man in the choicest veentages o' Spain, are clean thrown away
on 'em."

"Have you brought the water?"

"I ha' brought the water--and mair than the water. I ha' brought ye
news from ootside. There's a company o' gentlemen on horseback, joost
cantering by to what they ca' the shootin' cottage, a mile from this."

"Well--and what have we got to do with it?"

"Bide a wee! There's ane o' them has drawn bridle at the hottle, and
he's speerin' after the leddy that cam' here alane. The leddy's your
leddy, as sure as saxpence. I doot," said Mr. Bishopriggs, walking away
to the window, "_that's_ what ye've got to do with it."

Arnold looked at Anne.

"Do you expect any body?"

"Is it Geoffrey?"

"Impossible. Geoffrey is on his way to London."

"There he is, any way," resumed Mr. Bishopriggs, at the window. "He's
loupin' down from his horse. He's turning this way. Lord save us!" he
exclaimed, with a start of consternation, "what do I see? That incarnate
deevil, Sir Paitrick himself!"

Arnold sprang to his feet.

"Do you mean Sir Patrick Lundie?"

Anne ran to the window.

"It _is_ Sir Patrick!" she said. "Hide yourself before he comes in!"

"Hide myself?"

"What will he think if he sees you with _me?"_

He was Blanche's guardian, and he believed Arnold to be at that moment
visiting his new property. What he would think was not difficult to
foresee. Arnold turned for help to Mr. Bishopriggs.

"Where can I go?"

Mr. Bishopriggs pointed to the bedroom door.

"Whar' can ye go? There's the nuptial chamber!"

"Impossible!"

Mr. Bishopriggs expressed the utmost extremity of human amazement by a
long whistle, on one note.

"Whew! Is that the way ye talk o' the nuptial chamber already?"

"Find me some other place--I'll make it worth your while."

"Eh! there's my paintry! I trow that's some other place; and the door's
at the end o' the passage."

Arnold hurried out. Mr. Bishopriggs--evidently under the impression that
the case before him was a case of elopement, with Sir Patrick mixed
up in it in the capacit