r's Saturday Night." I
praised his conduct, and she answered with "The Epistle to Davie." It
was the name of Burns that was constantly upon her lips; she set his
verses to the music of old songs, singing them softly to herself in the
gloaming, and I could see had made a god of him by her own imaginings.

"That Burns book was a bad investment for you," I said to Danvers one
evening.

"Why," says he, "it's naught but a book!"

"True," I answered, "but the maker of it is a man--and she's idealized
him into a god. Ye just brought trouble for yourself when you brought
that volume among us," I cried.

To the best of my recollection it was about a week after my talk with
Danvers concerning a marriage between them that the three of us sat at
the dinner together, and there never was a more bewitching or dangerous
Nancy than we had with us that night. A tender, brilliant, saucy,
flattering Nancy, who moved us male creatures about as though we were
chessmen.

"Jock, tell about the old minister and the goose," she said. "There's
no one can tell that story like you."

Or,

"Danvers, do you recall the anecdote of Billy Deuceace and the
opera-singer? It's one of the best jokes I ever heard." And it was
after the laugh that followed this narration that Danvers said, with
some abruptness, I thought:

"We had bad news to-day. The Honorable Mrs. Erskine and her daughter
are coming to Arran. My father invited them over a year ago, and had
forgotten all about it when their letter of acceptance came."

"Is it Isabel Erskine whom your father advises you to marry?" Nancy
asked.

"It is the very same," Dandy answered with a careless laugh; "and I'm
warning you you are to have a rival in the same house with me!"

"Is she pretty?"

"She's well enough," he replied indifferently.

"I believe," said Nancy, looking through her wine-glass far off
somewhere, "that she'll suit you better than I."

"She treats me better."

"She doesn't write verses?" this with a glance from under her eyelids.

"She does not."

"Nor think her own way always the best?"

"She's very sweet and yielding, as becomes a woman," Danvers answered
teasingly.

"She's just without sin at all," Nancy continued with apparent
dejection.

"Entirely," Danvers returned solemnly, but with a laugh shining through
his long black lashes.

"Then I'd better not meet with her--I, who have so many failings."

"Have you failings?" Dandy asked, and the teasing tone lef