were two box-beds opposite the fire, and in the
wall which faced the door there was a very small window, containing four
panes of glass, each of which had a knot in the middle of it. One of
them also presented the phenomenon of a flattened nose, for the boy with
the ragged head had rushed down and stationed himself there to observe
the result of the unexpected and singular visit.

Beside the window, in a homely arm-chair, sat an invalid girl with pale
thin cheeks, bright blue eyes, and long flaxen hair. If not pretty, she
was, at all events, extremely interesting, and possessed the great charm
of a winning smile.

Apologising for causing her alarm by his damp, dishevelled, and sudden
appearance, Barret asked if there were any men about the place.

No, there were none there at the moment; most of them being out after
the sheep and cattle, and some gathering peat, or away in the boats.

"But surely they have not left you all by yourself?" said Barret, struck
not only by the appearance of the girl, but by the comparative
refinement of her language.

"Oh no!" she replied, with a slight smile; "they look well after me.
Mrs Anderson has only gone to fetch some peats. But where have you
come from, sir? Your clothes are all wet!"

"You are right. I have just been saved from drowning, through God's
mercy, along with my companions."

Here Barret gave her a brief outline of the recent disaster, and then
asked if Mrs Anderson was her mother.

"No; she is my aunt, but she is very good to me; takes as much care of
me as if I was her own daughter. I don't belong to this place. They
have sent me here for my health."

At this point they were interrupted by Mrs Anderson herself, who
entered with a load of peat, which she flung down, shook her fist at the
nose-flattener outside, and turned in astonishment to her visitor.

Of course our shipwrecked friend had to retail his story to the woman,
and then learned from her that the island was a very large one, with a
name unpronounceable by English lips, that it was very thinly inhabited,
that it consisted almost entirely of pasture land, and that "the laird"
owned a large portion of it, including the little fishing village of
"Cove."

While the woman was speaking an elderly man entered, whom she introduced
as her husband Ian. To him Barret had to re-repeat his story, and then
asked if he and his friends could obtain shelter in the village for the
night.

"Iss it shelter