her. Two or three were
told to wait till she had seen the factor, that she might hear his
reports before deciding on their claims. She looked round as if the
audience was over; and inquired why Alexander, or Sandy Redland, as he
was called, the factor, did not make his appearance, when an old man,
leaning on a stick, hobbled into the hall.

"I come for justice, my lady. Oh, hear me, hear me!" he exclaimed; as
if before entering the hall he had worked himself up to address her; "I
am just auld Archy Eagleshay, and as ye ken weel, my leddie, my only son
has long gane been awa to sea, and I've been left to struggle on fra ane
year to another, till now that I am grown too weak to toil, and the
factor, Sandy Redland, comes down upon me, and makes awfu' threats to
distrain and turn me out of my sma' holding if I dinna pay; and pay I
canna', that is truth, my leddie. Have mercy, have pity, my leddie. Ye
love justice whatever else ye love."

"Justice might induce me to expel you from your holding, if you cannot
pay your rent, old man," said Miss Wardhill, in a cold severe tone.
"However I will listen to what Sandy Redland, the factor, has to say.
Ha! here he comes. You are late Mr Redland, in your attendance. What
has kept you?"

The man who entered was a tall, thin person, habited in the grey
shepherd's plaid of the north. His features were coarse. He possessed
a sharp nose, high cheek bones, and small and grey unpleasantly
twinkling eyes. He bowed low, and in a voice which was intended to be
soft and insinuating, replied--

"It is no fault o' mine when your orders are na implicitly obeyed, Miss
Wardhill; but circumstances militate against the best intentions, as may
be clear to you oftentimes, I doubt not. I was delayed by having to
make inquiries respecting a strange ship, which anchored, it appears, a
few hours back, in the Sound of Eastling, and which, as I opine, is
within your leddyship's jurisdiction, I deemed it incumbent on me to
ascertain the object of her coming, and the time it might be proposed
for her to stay. As she is a foreigner, it struck me that charge might
be made for harbour and light dues, and the chances are that it would
not be disputed. Ye see, Miss Wardhill, that I have always your
honoured father's interests at heart."

The lady gave a glance towards the factor, which bespoke the most
perfect contempt--too cold and confirmed to cause much change in her
features.

"And what have