d the widow, coming forward with an earnestness which
fixed everybody's attention at once, and made Sir Alexander stop in his
walk. He was about to command silence on Annie's part, but a glance at
her face showed him that this would be useless.

"Let me first be sure that I am right," said Annie. "Is the Lord
President whom I speak to named Duncan Forbes? And is he a friend of
Lord Carse?"

"I am Duncan Forbes, and Lord Carse is an acquaintance of mine."

"Has he ever told you that his unhappy wife is not dead, as he
pretended, but living in miserable banishment on this island?"

"On this island! Nonsense!" cried Sir Alexander.

When assured by the hostess and Annie that it was so, he swore at his
steward, his tenant, and himself. On first hearing of the alarm being
taken by the lady's friends at Edinburgh, he had ordered her removal to
Saint Kilda, and had supposed it effected long ago. The troubles of the
time, which left no boat or men disposable, had caused the delay; and
now, between his rage at any command of his having been disregarded, and
his sense of his absurdity in bringing a friend of his prisoner to her
very door, he was perfectly exasperated. He muttered curses as he
strode up and down.

Meantime the Lord President was quietly preparing himself for a walk.
Everybody but Annie entreated him to stay till he had breakfasted, and
warmed himself, Lord Loudon adding that the lady would not fly away in
the course of the next hour if she had been detained so many years. It
did not escape the President's observant eye that these words struck Sir
Alexander, and that he made a movement towards the door. There being a
boat and rowers at hand, she might be found to have flown within the
hour, if he stayed to breakfast.

He approached Sir Alexander, and laid his hand on his arm, saying--

"My good friend, I advise you to yield up this affair into my hands as
the first law officer of Scotland. All chance of concealment of this
lady's case has been over for some time. Measures have been taken for
some months to compel you to resign the charge which you surely cannot
wish to retain--"

Sir Alexander broke in with curses on himself for having ever been
persuaded into involving himself in such a business.

"By the desire, I presume, of Lord Carse, Lord Lovat, Mr Forster, and
others, not now particularly distinguished for their loyalty."

"That is the cursed part of it," muttered Sir Alexander. "It wa