istress, but a tipsy gipsy, laid her down
on the shore, and rowed away. Mr Ruthven now declared that he could do
nothing in such a case. Lady Carse, now sobered from everything but
passion, protested that if he had had any sense or presence of mind, he
might have detained the strangers till she could produce from her
package proof of her rank and quality. If the wranglers could but have
known who these strangers were, and whence came the distant vessel to
which their boat belonged, all would have joined in thanksgiving for the
lady's escape from their hands.

Annie had no more suspicion of the truth than they. She could only
attempt to calm them, and make the best of matters by showing that
possibly all might not be over yet. It was now nearly dark. If she
could light two lamps for this once, it might bring back the boat. If
the people on board were familiar with her light and its purpose, the
singular circumstance of its being double might attract their curiosity;
if strangers, they might attend to the signal from prudence.

Mr Ruthven, being extremely cross, could see nothing but nonsense in
this plan. Lady Carse, being offended with her friends, thought it the
wisest and most promising scheme conceivable. Mr Ruthven would not
hear of spending a night down in the harbour, watching for a boat which
would never come. To ask such a thing of him after his sabbath-day's
services, and all for a woman's freak, was such a thing as--as he would
not describe. He could not think of doing such a thing. Lady Carse
said he was no friend of hers if he did not. While Mrs Ruthven
trembled and wept, Annie said that if she could only learn where Rollo
was, all would be easy. Rollo would watch in the harbour, she was sure.

Mr Ruthven caught at this suggestion for saving his night's rest, and
went off to seek Rollo; not so rapidly, however, but that he heard the
remark sent after him by Lady Carse, that it was a pretty thing for a
man to stand up in his pulpit, where nobody could answer him, and
lecture people about Christian duty, and then to be outdone in the first
trial by the first of his flock that came into comparison with him.
Annie could not bear to hear this. She desired Helsa to assist Lady
Carse to bed, that her clothes might be speedily dried, in readiness for
any sudden chance of escape.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

ANNIE'S NEWS.

Dull and sad was the first meal at the Ruthvens' the next morning. Lady
Carse