nothing more of my
history; but I am prating of myself, and shall weary you, captain."

"Far from it, friend; I delight in a little romance," answered the
captain. "How comes it, though, that you remained on shore this
summer?--but I need not ask--one of your fair islanders, of whom I have
heard so much, was your attraction."

"Yes, in truth," said the pilot, laughing; "she has become my wife,
though; and as I could not bring myself to quit her, I bethought me I
would try to gain my livelihood by turning pilot. Yours is one of the
first ships I have taken charge of. There--I have been frank with you,
captain, and told you all my history from beginning to end."

"And I thank you for it. I saw at a glance that you were above the
ordinary style of a pilot. I wanted to find a man like yourself, who
would give me the information I require about the country, the habits
and customs of the people. I would wish to win their regard. But you
have, I suppose, few good families here?"

Don Hernan well knew that the islander's pride would tempt him to launch
out in a full description of all the families of consequence in the
group, and that he should thus easily obtain, without apparently seeking
for it, all the information of that description which he required.

Morton unsuspectingly answered exactly in the tone for which he was
prepared.

"Indeed, captain, you are out of your latitude. We have the Edmonstones
of Unst, and the Lord Dundas, and the Mouats, and the Ogilvys, and Scott
of Scalloway, and Braces of Sandwick, and also of Symbister; and
Spences, and Duncans, and the Nicolson family; baronets of old date, all
honourable men, and of ancient lineage; besides many others I have not
named, standing equally well in the estimation of the country; and then
there is the Lunnasting family of Lunnasting Castle, of which I spoke to
you. The owner is Sir Marcus Wardhill, who succeeded to his property by
right of his wife, the Lady Margaret Brindister; one of the most ancient
of our Shetland families, descended, so it is said, from one of the
former chiefs, the Udallers of old. They are very great and important
people, at all events when in their own castle, and of course have
little communication with a man of my humble rank. Maybe I hear more of
them than do others, because my wife's mother was for long the companion
of the Lady Margaret, and the nurse to her children. I believe she
loved them as her own. Indeed, alt