w, my lassie--I ask your
pardon, but ye see I'm used to Miss Flora."

"Please call me just what you like," I said, and I followed Helen up a
little passage paved with stone, and into a room on the right hand,
where I found Flora standing by a tall fine-looking man, who had his arm
round her shoulders, and who was so like her that he could only be her
father. Flora's face was lighted up as I had seen it but once before--
so bright and happy she looked!

"And here is our young guest, your cousin," said my Uncle Drummond,
turning to me with a very kind smile. "My dear, may your stay be
profitable and pleasant among us,--ay, and mayest thou find favour in
the eyes of the God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to
trust!"

It sounded very strange to me. Did these people pray about everything?
I had heard Father speak contemptuously of "praying Presbyters," and I
thought Uncle Drummond must be one of that sort. But I could not see
that a minister looked at all different from a clergyman. They seemed
to me very much the same sort of creature.

Mr Cameron was to stay the night at the manse, and to go on in the
morning to his own home, which is about fourteen miles further. Flora
carried me off to her chamber, where she and I were to sleep, and we
changed our travelling dresses, and had a good wash, and then came down
to supper. During the evening Mr Cameron said, laughingly,--

"Well, my fair maid who objects to the South, have you digested the
Iberii?"

"I think I have remembered all you told us, Sir," said I; "but if you
please, I am very sorry, but I am afraid we do come from the South. Our
family, I mean. My father's father, I believe, belonged Wiltshire; and
his father, who was a captain in the navy, was a Courtenay of Powderham,
whatever that means. My sister Fanny knows all about it, but I don't
understand it--only I am afraid we must have come from the South."

Mr Cameron laughed, and so did my Uncle Drummond and Flora.

"Don't you, indeed, young lady?" said the first. "Well, it only means
that you have half the kings of England and France, and a number of
emperors of the East, among your forefathers. Very blue blood indeed,
Miss Caroline. I do not see how, with that pedigree, you could be
anything but a Tory. Mr Courtenay is rather warm that way, I
understand."

"Oh, Father is as strong as he can be," said I. "I should not dare to
talk of the Elector of Hanover by any other name if he h