ould go with thee."

"What wilt thou do?"

"Braid my hair and dress myself. Then I shall take out thy Saga of
'The Banded Men' and study the men who were banded, and find them
out, in all their clever ways. Then I can show them to others. If I
get tired of them--and I do get tired of men very quickly--I will
put on my bonnet and tippet, and go and carry Mrs. Brodie thy
respectful----"

"Take care, Sunna!"

"Good wishes! I can surely go so far."

"Know this--every step on that road may lead to danger--and thou
cannot turn back and tread them the other way. There now, be off! I
will talk with thee no longer."

Sunna said something about Burns in reply, but Vedder heard her not.
He was satisfying his vocal impatience by whistling softly and very
musically "The Garb of Old Gaul," and Sunna watched and listened a
moment, and then in something of a hurry went to her room. A new
thought had come to her--one which pleased her very much; and she
proceeded to dress herself accordingly.

"None too good is my Easter gown," she said pleasantly to herself;
"and I can take Eric a basket of the oranges grandfather brought home
today. A treat to the dear little lad they will be. Before me is a
long afternoon, and I shall find the proper moment to ask the advice
of Maximus about 'The Banded Men.'" So with inward smiles she dressed
herself, and then took the highway in a direction not very often taken
by her.

It led her to a handsome mansion overlooking the Venice of the
Orcades, the village and the wonderful Bay of Kirkwall, into which

... by night and day,
The great sea water finds its way
Through long, long windings of the hills.

The house had a silent look, and its enclosure was strangely quiet,
though kept in exquisite order and beauty. As she approached, a lady
about fifty years old came to the top of the long, white steps to meet
her, appearing to be greatly pleased with her visit.

"Only at dinner time Max was speaking of thee! And Eric said his
sweetheart had forgotten him, and wondering we all were, what had kept
thee so long away."

"Well, then, thou knowest about the war and the enlisting--everyone,
in some way, has been touched by the changes made."

"True is that! Quickly thou must come in, for Eric has both
second-sight and hearing, and no doubt he knows already that here thou
art----" and talking thus as she went, Mrs. Beaton led the way up a
wide, light stairway. Even as Mrs