n the Scottish estate, he was
everywhere received as the Marquis of Arondelle. There John Scott first
met by accident the handsome shepherdess, Rose Cameron, and fell in love
for the first time in his young life.

We have already seen how the Highland maiden, flattered by the notice
of the supposed young nobleman, encouraged those attentions without
returning that love.

After this, John Scott spent all his holidays at Lone, and much of them
in the society of the handsome shepherdess. His attentions in that
direction were regarded with strong disapproval by his father's tenantry,
but it was not their place to censure their supposed "young lord," and so
they only expressed their sentiments with grave shaking of their heads.

During the progress of the work, the ducal family never came to Lone, so
that the tenantry there were never set right as to the identity of John
Scott.

Only once the duke made a visit, to inspect the progress of the workmen.
He stopped at the Hereward Arms, and there heard nothing of the pranks of
John Scott, although, upon one occasion, he came very near doing so.

The landlord respectfully inquired if they should have the young marquis
up there as usual.

The duke stared for a moment, and then answered:

"You are mistaken. Arondelle does not come up here. Whatever are you
thinking of, my man?"

The host said he was mistaken, that was all, and so got himself out of
his dilemma the best way he could, and took the first opportunity to warn
all his dependents and followers that they were not to "blow" on the
young marquis.

"He was an unco wild lad, nae doobt, but his feyther kenned naething
about his pranks, and sae the least said, sunest mended," said the
landlord.

And thus, by the pranks of his "double," the reputation of the excellent
young Marquis of Arondelle suffered among his own people.

CHAPTER XLIV.

RETRIBUTION.

But a crisis was at hand.

The debts of John Scott increased every year, while the ready means of
the Duke of Hereward diminished--everything being engulfed by the Lone
restoration maelstrom.

The guardian determined to expostulate with his ward.

He went down to Oxford just before the close of the term. He found his
ward established in elegant and luxurious apartments, quite fit for a
royal prince, and very much more ostentatious than the unpretending
chambers occupied by the young Marquis of Arondelle at Cambridge, and
ridiculously extravagant for