Patsy

g the sands on Stair Garland's pony and had beaten Louis de Raincy's Honeypot by a length. She was in high fea

and the other two dressed in the latest fashion, of which Patsy had as yet only seen prints at the end of her uncle's Town a

ashed, "you have come to see

sign to his companions, and that they sat down as if in answ

"I knew him at Vienna, and as I was passing through from Ireland, I took this opportunity of paying my respec

er at the other end of the glen. I only come every day

dy young man, who continued to stare at her in a manner

shelves, especially if you stop indoors to read them. Then I come and take

atsy, as if to show his interest. "I often have the disease, though with me it does not come fro

her eyes, and the young man took advantage of the fact to signal slightly to

a moment she could be outside where none could touch her. After all, she thought, as she looked at the white line of the breakers and heard the familiar clatter of the servants in the kitchen below, she was a fool to be so idiotically nervous, like a fine smelli

s with the officers the other day! I would have given a thousand guineas for their luck. But now that I am fortunate

wondering if the young man were mad or only drunk-also ho

n here. You must come to London and take your place among our reigning beauties. Ah, if o

have a pair of heather-mixture stockings to make for uncle. I promised

you. It was solely for that purpose I came here, believe me. I had heard of you from Captain Laurence, and young Everard

t? No! Then you had better hold it. That, at least, you can do.-Wel

to say to you!" the

mething. There-sit down on that three-legged 'creep

ure, she would now take the matter lightly, and not insul

apid, nimble fingers while she scolded a delighted Great Personage for his mismanagement. Two gentlemen, of whom one was Captain Laurence, stood outside and waited gravely, as inde

t myself," said the Duke. "I own I am both stupid a

er," said Patsy. "I am sure that Captain Laurence,

ince. "In for a penny, in for a pound. I must conquer this art or be

tsy. "Make Captain Laurence wind for you an hour each morning, an

h me? Often when I was at Constantinople and also at sea I wishe

r uncle does not think them stupid," he added, with some sense

eed," said Patsy sharply

ince. He went on carefully slanting his hands time about to let the wool slip round, ben

ely, "if Julian Wemyss entered for a race, what was left for the others but the

p passed through the h

s been dressing me down. I hope to do better after a while. Besides, we have just been saying how perfe

he end into the ball, said "Thank you," and, with a curtsey, went out by the

Henry of Navarre, I should give up both Paris and France for such a mass-a real exile's consolation, good faith. Wemyss, you used to make me read a

n time to introduce you to my only sister's only daughter, my n

le he was telling, that I fear the introductions were a little slipshod. I shall make m

d of Blairmore. But he said nothing, and proceeded to make his young friend at home in his house of Abbey Burnfoot. He made no apologies. Ther

gow was an easy one. Dumfries and the Cumberland ports were open to him, and so, with the foreign articles which were found in his outer cellars after a

er about the shore, nor had she been met with along the dusky alders and dimpling birches of the path by the bur

s were too erratic and the country too safe (so long, at least, as she kep

the Rig of Blairmore, keeping to the deeper cover of the hollows till she came to the nook that sheltered the bothy. Her

e key, a small rock-cupboard beneath a couple of great boulders, fallen thwart-wise across one another like drunken men embracing, she found a str

tand five minutes

ine falcon-fashion of his own. He had left the warning if she should happen to visit the Bothy while it was being wat

ed to do this without going to the farm itself. Her absence from her uncle would soon be noticed, and as she had not appeared at her father's house of Cairn Ferris, it was to Glenan

t block of stone jutted out. It was told in the "persecuting" lore of the parish that the great "Peden the Prophet" had often used it as a pulp

s which in spring came from the most distant parts of the moor to gambol there. Sh

the whin-chat, like a tiny hammer ringing on hard stone. The sound came from up the wate

e, and she could see Stair Garland lying in a rocky niche which he had prepared long befor

long gun looked

the burn as if you had seen nothing

g from the opposite side. Sitting down, she told him of the Duke's coming to Abbey Bu

lenanmays, the stable emptied of our own horses to make room for those of the dragoons, and the w

ll away, then?" queried P

r gr

ice of hidie-holes as I have. I can hide better and lie closer, besides keeping a watch

Patsy, "it will be hard, I know, with al

rice more and the echoes had hardly died away before the wise, towsy head of a rough collie with the big, brown eyes of the genuine Galloway sheep-dog

er was doubled but held tight when worn by Whitefoot, owing to the roughness of the dog's mane of hair. Stair pushed back the understrap, and taking a piece of paper fro

and, as it were, barked without noise, making an eager,

Stair

his tail wagging violently

d to bark under their breaths. The Traffic and the "press," but especially the latter, had silenced much of the immemorial mirth of the farm-towns. The shadow of the war cloud rested on the ancient Free Province. The lads might 'list,

e understood that the girls would naturally wish to talk of their own affairs

n, cut with gun-metal coloured patches where it sulked a while in shadowy pools. Whitefoot would do his duty. Of that there was no doubt whatever. He would find Jean. He would attract her attention. Jean would go out to the

er wading breast-deep along the rag-weed and the meadow-sweet. The faint wind-furrow which preceded her showed wher

y other yard to make sure that Jean was following, and appreciating all his cleverness. At the edge of the clump of dull green alders he

l leaning with one hand on his gun and the op

ed in a low tone, indicating th

re it was not merely to ask this that he

nsole

lesome as they can help. There is some general

it is about him that Patsy wishes to speak to you! Keep White

her friend. In the snuggest nook of the shelter

something glitter for a moment in his eyes which had frightened her, and though she had played her part out to the end, she had

ndeed, I have nothing really to put before him. Men want evidence, not impressions. If I were to say to my Uncle J

ther Patsy was under a misapprehension. Patsy was afraid. Patsy had seen, therefore, the thing was so. That is the reason why girls reveal themselves one t

's fear of an unknown hovering danger, she called

made prize of a young lady of fashion-the Regent, the Dukes of York and Cumberland had set the fashion. The younger princes had out-princed their elders, and there was not a gossip in the countryside b

is long residence abroad had blunted the edge of calumny. For in his case the women were Fr

here remained something else as well. Patsy had never been afra