e.
"Mairi is my guest, papa," she said. "It is not like you to think of
leaving her at home."

"Oh. it wass of no consequence," said old Mackenzie carelessly: indeed
he was not sorry to have met with this rebuff. "Mairi is a ferry
good girl--oh yes--but there are many who would not forget she is a
servant-lass, and would not like to be always taking her with them.
And you hef lived a long time in London--"

"I have not lived long enough in London to make me forget my friends
or insult them," Sheila said with proud lips, and yet turning to the
window to hide her face.

"My lass, I did not mean any harm whatever," her father said gently:
"I wass saying nothing against Mairi. Go away and bring her into the
room, Sheila, and we will see what we can do now, and if there is a
theatre we can go to this evening. And I must go out, too, to buy some
things; for you are a ferry fine lady now, Sheila, and I was coming
away in such a hurry--"

"Where is your luggage, papa?" she said suddenly.

"Oh, luggage!" said Mackenzie, looking round in great embarrassment.
"It was luggage you said, Sheila? Ay, well, it wass a hurry I wass
in when I came away--for this man he will have to pay me at once
whatever--and there wass no time for any luggage--oh no, there wass no
time, because Duncan he wass late with the boat, and the mare she had
a shoe to put on--and--and--oh no, there was no time for any luggage."

"But what was Scarlett about, to let you come away like that?" Sheila
said.

"Scarlett? Well, Scarlett did not know, it was all in such a hurry.
Now go and bring in Mairi, Sheila, and we will speak about the
theatre."

But there was to be no theatre for any of them that evening. Sheila
was just about to leave the room to summon Mairi when the small girl
who had let Mackenzie into the house appeared and said, "Please, m'm,
there is a young woman below who wishes to see you. She has a message
to you from Mrs. Paterson."

"Mrs. Paterson?" Sheila said, wondering how Mrs. Lavender's
hench-woman should have been entrusted with any such commission. "Will
you ask her to come up?"

The girl came up stairs, looking rather frightened and much out of
breath.

"Please, m'm, Mrs. Paterson has sent me to tell you, and would you
please come as soon as it is convenient? Mrs. Lavender has died. It
was quite sudden--only she recovered a little after the fit, and then
sank: the doctor is there now, but he wasn't in time, it was all so
sudde