ny did feel very angry with him. What she might have done, it is
difficult to say, had not Mrs Maclean entered the room.

"I can understand how it happened, and whose fault it was," she
observed. "Do not mind the broken dish, dear Fanny, I will send for the
servant to take it away, and do you, young gentleman, go and get ready
to accompany your mamma."

Norman, who on seeing Mrs Maclean enter, fully expected to be punished,
thought her kinder than he had supposed, and felt more inclined to like
her than before. He accompanied Fanny without saying a word, and made
no opposition when getting ready for the excursion.

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

THE PICNIC.

There were two small open carriages prepared for the expedition. The
laird drove Mrs Maclean and Mrs Leslie in one, and Captain Vallery
took charge of his wife and children in the other.

After driving some way along the road, leaving the loch behind them they
mounted a hill, and to Fanny's surprise, she found that they were close
to Alec Morrison's cottage. The laird called him out.

"We are going to Glen Corpach, and as I am not sure whether we shall
find any one to row the boat there, I wish you would come with us."

Alec said he could not leave Robby.

"Bring him, then," said the laird. "You get up by the side of me, and
Robby can go in the other carriage with the children."

They stopped a few minutes while his grandfather helped Robby to put on
his best clothes. His toilet was quickly finished, and Alec lifted him
into the carriage with the children.

Fanny was very glad to see him, but Norman looked at him askance, as if
he was an intruder, and was afraid besides that he would ask after the
little bird. Fanny also was afraid that he might do so, and she was
very unwilling to have to tell him that it was dead. She therefore
talked to him about as many things as she could think of. She asked him
how Lory was, and if he had ever been in a carriage before? Robby
answered that Lory was very well, and that he had once been in a
carrier's cart, but that it did not move as fast as they were going, and
seemed highly delighted with the drive. The question both the children
dreaded came at last.

"Don't be teasing us by your questions, you stupid little fellow," said
Norman hastily, "I wonder you are not ashamed of your impudence."

Poor little Robby looked much abashed at this rebuke.

"I only asked after the young lady's bird," he said.

"Hold your