people in Styornoway hef to say,
and sa captain of sa steamboat, and Scarlett? I will hef no peace from
Scarlett if you wass going away like this. And as for sa sweerin, it
is no use sa sweerin, for I will get sa boat ready--oh yes, I will get
sa boat ready; but I do not understand why I will get sa boat ready."

By this time, indeed, he had got along to the larger boat, and his
grumblings were inaudible to the object of them. Mr. Mackenzie went to
the small landing-place and waited. When he got into the boat and sat
down in the stern, taking the tiller in his right hand, he still held
Sheila's letter in the other hand, although he did not need to reread
it.

They sailed out into the blue waters of the loch and rounded the point
of the island in absolute silence, Duncan meanwhile being both sulky
and curious. He could not make out why his master should so suddenly
leave the island, without informing any one, without even taking with
him that tall and roughly-furred black hat which he sometimes wore on
important occasions. Yet there was a letter in his hand, and it was a
letter from Miss Sheila. Was the news about Mairi the only news in it?

Duncan kept looking ahead to see that the boat was steering her right
course for the Narrows, and was anxious, now that he had started, to
make the voyage in the least possible time, but all the same his eyes
would come back to Mr. Mackenzie, who sat very much absorbed, steering
almost mechanically, seldom looking ahead, but instinctively guessing
his course by the outlines of the shore close by. "Was there any bad
news, sir, from Miss Sheila?" he was compelled to say at last.

"Miss Sheila!" said Mr. Mackenzie impatiently. "Is it an infant you
are, that you will call a married woman by such a name?"

Duncan had never been checked before for a habit which was common to
the whole island of Borva.

"There iss no bad news," continued Mackenzie impatiently. "Is it a
story you would like to tek back to the people of Borvabost?"

"It wass no thought of such a thing wass come into my head, sir," said
Duncan. "There iss no one in sa island would like to carry bad news
about Miss Sheila; and there iss no one in sa island would like to
hear it--not any one whatever--and I can answer for that."

"Then hold your tongue about it. There is no bad news from Sheila,"
said Mackenzie; and Duncan relapsed into silence, not very well
content.

By dint of very hard driving indeed Mr. Mackenzie