ess had taken an instant fancy, as Patsy knew she would, to the
little Dresden china shepherdess of a lady who would never grow older.
Everything about her was irresistible--the soft grey ripple of hair
about her brow, the shy girlish eyes, the long delicate hand with the
fingers which, in spite of their declared readiness to work, trembled a
little, and the voice which spoke the Northern speech with such
clear-cut gentility, that the words fell on the ear with a certain cool
freshness, like the splash of water in a fountain or the tinkle of a
burn flowing over pebbles of whinstone.

"You must come away with us," said the Princess, "I have a great house
in the midst of gardens not far from the town, and horses which are
greatly in need of exercise--when it pleases you to use them, you will
confer a real favour. So let Patsy here help you to make up your trunks,
and come back home with us!"

"Oh, do, Miss Aline!" pleaded Patsy, "that will be the very happiest
thing I can think of."

"Bide a wee," said the old lady, motioning Patsy to be silent. "I am
heartily obligated to your Highness for her maist kind offer, and I will
accept it on yae condeetion. Which is, that if ever ye come to Scotland
on any errand whatsoever, or have need of a bit nook where ye can forget
the warld--the like comes whiles to the greatest--ye will come straight
to me at Ladykirk--"

"I promise," said the Princess, smiling sadly. "I have great need to
profit by your offer now. But at present I am not my own. I must wait.
Still, I do promise you that if I live I shall use my first freedom by
coming to visit you at Ladykirk. Patsy here has been telling me about
it. She says it is a Paradise!"

"It's weel enough," said Miss Aline, "naething very grand about it but
the garden, and _that_ is real famous for the plums and the berries. But
I daresay ye will hae plenty goosegogs o' your ain. How far are ye on
with your preserving, mem?"

"Dear me," said the Princess, "really, I never thought of asking. But I
shall see as soon as we get home. I promise you that you shall have the
command of all the idle gardeners at Hanover Lodge if you will only come
with me."

"Is your jeely-pan good solid copper or only one of thae nesty French
things that need to be lacquered every month?"

"Indeed," said the Princess Elsa, "I ought to know, and I am ashamed not
to know, having been (for some time at least) a German _haus-frau_. But
living so long in London an