she really saw him not.

"Ah well! never mind the story, Duncan," she said at last; "I know you
are tired and not in the mood for _sguullachd_, and if you like I will
sing you my song."

"You randy!" he said to himself, "you are going to have it out of me, my
dear." And he bent the more industriously to his task.

"Stop! stop!" he cried before she had got halfway through the old song
of "The Rover." "Stop! stop!" said he. He threw the binding bands from
him and faced the crimson west, with his back to her.

"Any port but that, my dear! If you are grieving because you think you
are going abroad you need not be anything of the kind, my leddy. This
is the place for you, about your father's door and him away where the
fevers are--aye and the harbours too with diversions in every one of
them."

"And Uncle Jamie's going to keep me, is he?" said she. "Lucky me! I was
aye so fond of gaiety, you mind."

"Whoever it is that's to keep you it might be worse," said he.

"Then there's somebody."

"Somebody," he repeated; "the cleverest young----"

"Stop! stop!" she cried, rising suddenly to her feet; "do not dare to
mention a name; spare me that."

He looked at her in amazement.

"Do you think I'm a stone, Duncan?"

"You would not be asking me that twice if I was younger myself," he said
redly, looking at her fine figure, the blush like a sunset on her neck,
the palpitation of her bosom, the flash and menace of her eyes.

"Well, well, well, go on, tell me more," she cried when she had
recovered herself. "What more is there?"

"You are the one that should know most," said he.

"I know nothing at all," she answered bitterly. "It seems that
nowadays the lady is the last to be taken into confidence about her own
marriage."

"Are you telling me?" he asked incredulously.

"I'm swearing it down your throat," she cried. "If I had a friend in
this countryside he would be pitying my shame that I must be bargained
for like beast at a fair and not have a word in the bargain."

"My name's what my name may be," said he, putting out an arm and
addressing the world, "and you are my master's daughter; I would cut off
that hand to save you a minute's vexation. What did Black Duncan know
but that you had the picking of the gentleman yourself--and you might
have picked worse, though I tell you I did not care to hear about the
money in it."

"The money," she exclaimed, turning pale to the lips; "then--then--then
there's money in