heed of the nature of the proffered relief, provided it be only easily attainable, that, in answer to his further suggestion that they should set forth at once, his guide immediately obeyed, only pausing to hope that her pace was not too fast for him. "Thank you. I do pretty well." (It would have done him no manner of harm to have had another dozen miles added to what he had already walked.) "Do not slacken speed on my account," continued Evelyn, with a world of indomitable resolution in his voice; as long as I can, I will keep up with you." 66 The angry gusts, which continued to bang the two about unmercifully, made him conclude to dispense with any further provocative of compassion; and presently observing how severely the slight figure at his side was buffeted from side to side, he so far forgot himself as to attempt to give her shelter. "Look here, keep to the leeward of me," he said, goodhumouredly; "you can't keep your feet on the ground. Take my arm, and it will be something to hold on by," and suiting the action to the word, he took her hand, not rudely, but still with the freedom of a superior performing a kindly act of condescension. Much to his astonishment, however, the hand, which was bare, and felt very small and soft in his grasp, was snatched hastily away, and at the same moment a break in the clouds permitted a stream of light from the moon, which had now arisen, to descend on a face which, had a single minute more been vouchsafed him for observation, he could have sworn was that of a maiden in his own rank of life, and of a very beautiful one. CHAPTER II. LUXURY. "The storm without might rave and rustle, -Tam o' Shanter. The immediate effect of this revelation on the mind of the supposed invalid was to cause him to lose sight altogether of the character he was playing. He pressed forward, straining his eyes to see what sort of an abode might harbour so fair a blossom; and although, a few minutes before, he would have been only too well pleased with the prospect of such excellent accommodation as met his view, he was now unreasonably disconcerted at the sight of a plainly-built, square, whitewashed farmhouse, perched upon the cliff in the most exposed and unkindly spot that the ingenuity of builder could suggest. A rambling wall, here and there overhung by the bent boughs of a tree, enclosed a small piece of ground on one side, and a deeply-rutted foot-road led through several gates up to the entrance-door on the other; but as this path-for it was little more-struck away towards the right side of the headland upon which the small domain was situated, whereas Evelyn and his guide had crossed the open fields on the left, they only had the advantage, if advantage if could be called, of pursuing it when within a very short distance of the house. The opening and shutting of the last gate, and another temporary gleam of light, which burst from betwixt the dark masses of cloud above, at the precise moment when it was being held back for the lady to pass through, afforded her fellow-traveller another chance look at her face; but, while mentally anathematising the shade of her hat, which was closely pressed down in order to keep it from being blown away, his observations were further hindered, and finally put to rout altogether, by the vagaries of a long fringed and perversely-minded shawl, which, flying up in front by fits and starts, presently obscured every feature. So much as he could glean, however, was enough to tantalise. They now gained the door, and for a few minutes the stranger was enjoined to remain where he was; but he had scarcely had time to decide whether it might be necessary to take up again the hypocritical rôle he had at first assumed, or whether he had not already cast it off too entirely to admit of its resumption, before he found himself face to face with a stout, elderly yeoman, who, in the heartiest of tones and broadest of accents, was bidding him enter. "I am afraid I am come under false pretences," he then tried to say, instantly deciding to take his cheery host into confidence, and have a laugh at the whole affair; but he was permitted to get no further. It was immaterial on what pretences he came. He was there, and that was enough; he could not be too often as sured that he was welcome. Whenever he would have spoken he was cut short: the sturdy farmer would hear neither apology nor explanation; and only when both ceased to be offered, consented to permit any one but himself to put in a word. His daughter-for such Evelyn concluded his late guide to be-did not reappear; but enamoured of her charms, and ready to believe them matchless, as our hero ought certainly to have been by all the laws of romance, it must be confessed that he experienced on this account neither anxiety nor uneasiness, being content to wait, and to occupy himself, as soon as the assiduities of his new friend would permit, in unreeling the line of his fishing-rod and emptying his basket. Pretty faces he could see by the score any day he chose, but to his ears no sound had ever seemed more musical than Farmer Comline's, "Come ben the hoose, sir, and mak' yersel' at hame. I'm prood to do ye a service, an' fain to hae the pleesure o' your company." He was now housed for the night; and shame to tell, that was the thought which was uppermost in the young man's mind. To the courteous invitation he made a spirited and suitable rejoinder, and looking around him with the utmost goodhumour, mentally contrasted the ample and comfortable apartment which now met his view, with the dark and odorous hovel into which he had at first stumbled. That recollection was now only a source of delight, and the castle in the air it had so ruthlessly destroyed was returned, an actual and solid structure, on his hands. He could not conceal his pleasure. The spacious best room at the Muirland Farm was neither parlour nor kitchen, but partook of the best attributes of both. It was a room to be used, sat in, smoked in: up the huge chimney, if the night were chill and raw, flickering blue wreaths that had nothing to do with the fire below Iwould find their way. But the polished floor, only partially carpeted, and the thick close shutters which made curtains unnecessary, told no tales all was as sweet, fresh, and wholesome as the most fastidious could desire. Within the massive fireplace logs of oak and fir arched upwards against each other, emitting a broad blaze which spread to the furthest corners of the room; and although it might have seemed as if such a furnace were hardly needed merely to warm, in Evelyn's eyes it would have been ill replaced by the flicker of a smaller fire. Nor would he have exchanged the ancient, curiously-fashioned arm-chairs, tall timepiece, and square centre-table, for more genteel furniture. All was in keeping. The fury of the blast without, joined now to the rattle of the rain upon the window-panes as a passing shower flew overhead, sounded delightfully in his ears; his eye kindled with animation; and as he took off his cap and stepped forward into the light, with his hair straying over his brow, and the colour in his cheek, a finer, bolder, handsomer young gallant had seldom been seen north of the Tweed. So at least thought Comline's buxom dame, who, by no means insensible to the pleasure of entertaining such a visitor, and— a great point with housewives-of being taken at a lucky moment, being found at her best by him, without foreknowledge or preparation on her part, was no whit behind her husband in hospitality. sure. "You'll be wet, sir, and weary. This is an ill nicht to be owerta'en on the muir. We're prood to see you, sir, I'm And though this is no' Castle Kenrick, yet it's on the property. Castle Kenrick is but nine miles off. The wrang turn you took was aiblins six miles frae here; I ken the turn weel-there's nae sign nor naethin' to guide folks by" "He suld hae tried the airt o' the clicky,'" interposed her husband; "that wad ha' been the way-eh, gudewife?" "The airt o' the clicky?'" said Evelyn, who, although sufficiently accustomed to the broad dialect of the Scottish Lowlanders to enable him to follow what was said, though he might not catch the meaning of every word, yet was but imperfectly acquainted with their customs and maxims. "The airt o' the clicky'? what is that?" It was explained to him that the so-called "airt" consists in the bewildered traveller's poising his staff or crook perpendicularly in the air over the road which perplexes him, and then leaving it to itself. Whichever direction the stick falls in, that he is bound to pursue. "And by doing yon," maintained the gudeman, with a defiant look at his tittering spouse, "ye wad hae been at Castle Kenrick twa hoors syne,-ay, an' mair." "Weel, weel," quoth Mrs Comline, begging the impend ing question, "that's as it may be. Castle Kenrick, or no Castle Kenrick, we'll do our best; and as I was sayin', sir, we're on the property. The laird was here himsel' only a few days syne. Sittin' in yon chair for his crack and his joke. He never passes by wi'oot looking in, an it be but for his tumbler of new milk. When I see him coming, I run for the milk; and whiles he says, 'Mistress, I cam' oot o' my way a gude lang roond just to get my milk.' Puir thing! Trampin' the heather a' day lang, nae wonder he's drouthy. But"-with sudden recollection-"here I stand, talk, talk, and you just wearyin' for your supper, and wet through, forbye. Come up the stair, sir, up this way, and Robin will fetch you a change." Bending her back to the steep staircase, the kind-hearted old woman led the way, only pausing when the top was reached, to recover breath, and renew her strain of benevolent concern and welcome. "An' you'll kindly tak' things as they are, sir, and excuse they're no' being just so nice as they micht hae been. No' that ye need fear cauld nor rheumatics-hoots, the young can tak' cauld, an' the auld has rheumatics! but naebody need be frichtet for either at the Muirland Farm. The beds are aye aired. An' though I'm alane the nicht, for we're changin' oor servant - lass, yet a'thing's straicht, ye see," throwing open the door of a good-sized sleeping-apartment, which needed certainly no apology either as regarded order or cleanliness. Evelyn, overjoyed, expressed his gratitude. "The fire's the ae thing," replied the good woman, regretfully. "It'll tak' time to burn up in sic a wind; an' 'deed, I misdoot its burnin' weel at a'. But we'll do oor best; an' your room will be daikert by the time it's wanted: an' here's Robin, sae I'll run." Presently, however, she was at the door again, laden with water, soap, and towels; also with further explanations. Had her daughter been at home the guest would have been better attended to. The guest listened attentively. "Lizzie," continued the old woman, garrulously, "has ta'en the road this afternoon, gaen after a lass, for we can ill get on wantin' ane; but she'll be back the morn.' "The morn-that's to-morrow? Was it not she, then ?" He paused; suddenly he felt a conviction that it |