d of her with violence, and dragged her from the room.
Fergus laid hands upon Gibbie more gently, and half would have
forced, half persuaded him to go. A cry came from Ginevra: refusing
to be sent to her room before Gibbie was in safety, her father
struck her. Gibbie would have darted to her help. Fergus held him
fast, but knew nothing of Gibbie's strength, and the next moment
found himself on his back upon the table, amidst the crash of
wineglasses and china. Having locked the door, Gibbie sprung to the
laird, who was trying to drag his daughter, now hardly resisting, up
the first steps of the stair, took him round the waist from behind,
swept him to the other room, and there locked him up also. He then
returned to Ginevra where she lay motionless on the stair, lifted
her in his arms, and carried her out of the house, nor stopped
until, having reached the farther end of the street, he turned the
corner of it into another equally quiet.

The laird and Fergus, when they were released by the girl from their
respective prisons and found that the enemy was gone, imagined that
Ginevra had retired again to her room; and what they did after is
not interesting.

Under a dull smoky oil-lamp Gibbie stopped. He knew by the
tightening of her arms that Ginevra was coming to herself.

"Let me down," she said feebly.

He did so, but kept his arm round her. She gave a deep sigh, and
gazed bewildered. When she saw him, she smiled.

"With you, Gibbie!" she murmured. "--But they will be after us!"

"They shall not touch you," signified Gibbie.

"What was it all about?" she asked.

Gibbie spelled on his fingers,

"Because I offered to give you Glashruach, if your father would let
you marry Donal."

"Gibbie! how could you?" she cried almost in a scream, and pushing
away his arm, turned from him and tried to run, but after two steps,
tottered to the lamp-post, and leaned against it--with such a scared
look!

"Then come with me and be my sister, Ginevra, and I will take care
of you," spelled Gibbie. "I can do nothing to take care of you while
I can't get near you."

"Oh, Gibbie! nobody does like that," returned Ginevra, "--else I
should be so glad!"

"There is no other way then that I know. You won't marry anybody,
you see."

"Won't I, Gibbie? What makes you think that?"

"Because of course you would never refuse Donal and marry anybody
else; that is not possible."

"Oh! don't tease me, Gibbie."

"G