s going
to Glashruach on business, and had arranged for Miss Kimble to come
and stay with her till his return.

At nine o'clock the schoolmistress came to breakfast, and at ten a
travelling-carriage with four horses drew up at the door, looking
nearly as big as the cottage. With monstrous stateliness, and a
fur-coat on his arm, the laird descended to his garden gate, and got
into the carriage, which instantly dashed away for the western road,
restoring Mr. Galbraith to the full consciousness of his inherent
grandeur: if he was not exactly laird of Glashruach again, he was
something quite as important. His carriage was just out of the
street, when a second, also with four horses, drew up, to the
astonishment of Miss Kimble, at the garden gate. Out of it stepped
Mr. and Mrs. Sclater! then a young gentleman, whom she thought very
graceful until she discovered it was that low-lived Sir Gilbert! and
Mr. Torrie, the lawyer! They came trooping into the little
drawing-room, shook hands with them both, and sat down, Sir Gilbert
beside Ginevra--but nobody spoke. What could it mean! A morning
call? It was too early. And four horses to a morning call! A
pastoral visitation? Four horses and a lawyer to a pastoral
visitation! A business call? There was Mrs. Sclater! and that Sir
Gilbert!--It must after all be a pastoral visitation, for there was
the minister commencing a religious service!--during which however
it suddenly revealed itself to the horrified spinster that she was
part and parcel of a clandestine wedding! An anxious father had
placed her in charge of his daughter, and this was how she was
fulfilling her trust! There was Ginevra being married in a brown
dress! and to that horrid lad, who called himself a baronet, and
hobnobbed with a low market-woman! But, alas! just as she was
recovering her presence of mind, Mr. Sclater pronounced them husband
and wife! She gave a shriek, and cried out, "I forbid the banns,"
at which the company, bride and bridegroom included, broke into "a
loud smile." The ceremony over, Ginevra glided from the room, and
returned almost immediately in her little brown bonnet. Sir Gilbert
caught up his hat, and Ginevra held out her hand to Miss Kimble.
Then at length the abashed and aggrieved lady found words of her
own.

"Ginevra!" she cried, "you are never going to leave me alone in the
house!--after inviting me to stay with you till your father
returned!"

But the minis