"Object!" said Betty. "No; Donald smokes every night; and since--since----" Her voice faltered; her face grew pale. After a minute's silence she said in an abrupt tone, "We go into the kitchen most nights to talk to Donald while he smokes." "Then to-night you must talk to me. I can tell you, my dears, you are the luckiest young girls in the whole of Great Britain to have got admitted to Haddo Court; and my child Fan will look after you. You understand, dears, that everything you want you apply to me for. I am your guardian, appointed to that position by your dear aunt. You can write to me yourselves, or ask Fan to do so. By the way, I have been looking through some papers in a desk which belonged to your dear aunt, and cannot find a little sealed packet which she left there. Do you know anything about it, any of you?" "No, uncle, nothing," said Betty, raising her dark-gray eyes and fixing them full on his face. "Well, I suppose it doesn't matter," said Sir John; "but in a special letter to me she mentioned the packet. I suppose, however, it will turn up. Now, my dears, you are in luck. When you get over your very natural grief----" "Oh, don't!" said Betty. "Get over it? We'll never get over it!" "My dear, dear child, time softens all troubles. If it did not we couldn't live. I admire you, Betty, for showing love for one so worthy----" "If you don't look out, Uncle John," suddenly exclaimed Hetty, "you'll have Betty howling; and when she begins that sort of thing we can't stop her for hours." Sir John raised his brows and looked in a puzzled way from one girl to the other. "You will be very happy at Haddo Court," he said; "and you are in luck to get there. Now, off to bed, all three of you, for we have to make an early start in the morning." Sir John held out his hand as he spoke. "Kiss me, Betty," he said to the eldest girl. "Are you my uncle?" she inquired. "No; your father and I were first cousins. But, my poor child, I stand in the place of father and guardian to you now." "I'd rather not kiss you, if you don't mind," said Betty. "You must please yourself. Now go to bed, all of you." The girls left the little sitting-room. It was their fashion to hold each other's hands, and in a chain of three they now entered the kitchen. "Jean," said Betty, "_he_ says we are to go to bed. I want to ask you and Donald a question, and I want to ask it quickly." "And what is the question, my puir bit lassie?" asked Jean Macfarlane. "It is this," said Betty--"you and Donald can answer it quickly--if we want to come back here you will take us in, won't you?" "Take you in, my bonny dears! Need you ask? There's a shelter always for the bit lassies under this roof," said Donald Macfarlane. "Thanks, Donald," said Betty. "And thank you, Jean," she added. "Come, girls, let's go to bed."