re me. Ye're nae ill to luik
at, though ye maun hae been bonnier the day ye wan the hert o' my
Grizel."

The marquis uttered an oath and left the door. Miss Horn sprang to it,
but there was the marquis again. "Miss Horn," he said, "I beg you will
give me another day to think of this."

"Whaur's the use? A' the thinkin' i' the warl' canna alter a single
fac'. Ye maun do richt by my laddie o' yer ainsel', or I maun gar ye."

"You would find a lawsuit heavy, Miss Horn."

"An' ye wad fin' the scandal o' 't ill to bide, my lord. It wad come
sair upo' Miss--I kenna what name she has a richt till, my lord."

The marquis uttered a frightful imprecation, left the door, and,
sitting down, hid his face in his hands.

Miss Horn rose, but instead of securing her retreat, approached him
gently and stood by his side. "My lord," she said, "I canna thole to
see a man in tribble. Women's born till 't, an' they tak it an' are
thankfu'; but a man never gies in till 't, an' sae it comes harder
upo' him nor upo' them. Hear me, my lord: gien there be a man upo'
this earth wha wad shield a woman, that man's Ma'colm Colonsay."

"If only she weren't his sister!" murmured the marquis.

"An' jist bethink ye, my lord: wad it be onything less nor an
imposition to lat a man merry her ohn tellt him what she was?"

"You insolent old woman!" cried the marquis, losing his temper,
discretion and manners all together. "Go and do your worst, and be
damned to you!"

So saying, he left the room, and Miss Horn found her way out of the
house in a temper quite as fierce as his--in character, however,
entirely different, inasmuch as it was righteous.

At that very moment Malcolm was in search of his master, and seeing
the back of him disappear in the library, to which he had gone in a
half-blind rage, he followed him. "My lord!" he said.

"What do you want?" returned his master in a rage. For some time he
had been hauling on the curb-rein, which had fretted his temper the
more, and when he let go the devil ran away with him.

"I thoucht yer lordship wad like to see an auld stair I cam upo' the
ither day, 'at gangs frae the wizard's chaumer--"

"Go to hell with your damned tomfoolery!" said the marquis. "If ever
you mention that cursed hole again I'll kick you out of the house."

Malcolm's eyes flashed and a fierce answer rose to his lips, but he
had seen that his master was in trouble, and sympathy supplanted rage.
He turned and left the room in