y brief explanation, however, quickly sufficed to charge his
susceptible spirit to overflowing with a compound of grave anxiety and
heartfelt gratitude.

"Come in, my dear sir, come in; luckily our doctor is spending the day
with me. But for you, my poor dear Milly might have been--This way, to
her own room. Are you sure the arm is broken?"

"I fear so," replied Barret, entering the mansion; but before he could
proceed farther his words were drowned in a shriek of surprise from four
little Gordons, aged from sixteen to four, who yelled rather than
demanded to know what ailed their cousin--ranging from Archie's, "What's
wrong with Cousin Milly," to Flora's, "Wass wong wid Cuzn Miwy?"

By that time Mrs Gordon, a pleasant-voiced lady, with benignity in her,
looks, appeared on the scene, followed quickly by a man and several maid
servants, all of whom added to the confusion, in the midst of which
Cousin Milly was conveyed to her room and deposited on her bed. The
family doctor, a rotund little man of fifty-five, was speedily in
attendance.

"So fortunate that the doctor happens to be here," said the laird, as he
led Barret to the library and offered him a glass of wine. "No! you
don't drink? Well, well, as you please. Here, Duncan, fetch milk,
lemonade, coffee, hot, at once. You must be tired after carrying her so
far, even though she _is_ a light weight. But, forgive me; in my
anxiety about my poor niece I have quite forgotten to ask either your
name or how you came here, for no steamer has been to the island for a
week past. Pray be seated, and, wherever you may be bound for
ultimately, make up your mind that my house is to be your home for a
week at least. We suffer no visitor ever to leave us under that
period."

"You are very kind," returned the young man, smiling, "and I accept your
proffered hospitality most gladly. My name is John Barret. I came to
the other side of the island in a yacht, and swam on shore in my clothes
with six companions, spent the night at Cove, and have walked over here
to make known these facts to you."

"You speak in riddles, my young friend," returned the laird, with an
amused look.

"Yet I speak the truth," returned Barret, who thereupon gave a
circumstantial account of the disaster that had befallen himself and his
friends.

"Excuse me," said Mr Gordon, rising; throwing up the window he shouted
to a man who was passing at the moment, "Roderick, get the big
waggonette