her eagerness to follow them, had not Davie Cheyne come behind
her, and, seizing her in his arms, drawn her back from the edge of the
precipice. She broke from him, and was again rushing forward, when
Lawrence and a servant, who burst out of the room where they had been
locked in, ran forward and surrounded her. When they saw the boats, two
of them, who had secured some muskets which the pirates had overlooked,
threatened to fire on them; but as they levelled their pieces the
captain held up the child, and three or four bullets whizzing above
their heads, showed them that they would gain nothing by warlike
proceedings. Some of the men--and so did Lawrence--proposed manning Sir
Marcus's barge, and going in pursuit of the enemy; but the proposal was
wisely overruled by Davie Cheyne. "How could they expect, with a single
boat, and with but few men ill-armed, to capture two boats full of
well-armed men, perfectly practised in warfare, and who had already
shown their superiority?"

The argument was unanswerable, and the proposal was withdrawn. It was,
meantime, with the greatest difficulty that Hilda was held back from the
edge of the cliff.

"My child! my child!" she continued crying out. "Oh, bring me back my
child!"

The sound of her voice could no longer reach those she addressed. Away
pulled the boat towards the schooner in the offing; and as all hope of
recovering her soon vanished, she again sunk senseless into the arms of
those surrounding her.

When daylight increased, a schooner, which hoisted French colours, was
seen standing away to the eastward; but whence she had come, and where
she went to, no one connected with Lunnasting was ever able to discover.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

ARRIVAL OF SIR MARCUS--HILDA AND HER SISTER--A BRIG OF WAR APPEARS--
EDDA'S MARRIAGE--ROLF MORTON SAILS ON A LONG VOYAGE.

For many days after the loss of her child, Hilda remained in a state of
such utter prostration, that Bertha, who would allow no one but herself
to watch her, often dreaded that her mind would go altogether.

"Perhaps she would be happier thus unconscious of past griefs, or of the
dreary future in store for her," Bertha frequently repeated to herself;
but Hilda was not thus to be spared the trials and sorrows sent to
purify and correct her nature. Not only did she become fully aware of
all that had taken place, but she was made fully alive to events daily
occurring, and was able to contemplate what the f