'I read in the papers,' said she, 'that the grandson of Lord Fettercairn had shot some beautiful eaglets at the ruins of Finella's castle. The grandson, thought I--that maun be the bairn I nursed, as I nursed his mother before him, and so I'm come a the way frae Ross-shire to see him, your leddyship.' 'I have heard of you, Madelon, and that you were in early life nurse to--to my younger son's wife,' said Lady Fettercairn, with a freezing stare and slight inclination of her haughty head; but she added, 'be seated.' 'Yes--I was nurse to Captain MacIan's daughter Flora,' said Madelon, her eyes becoming moist; 'the Captain saved my husband's life in the Persian war, but was killed himself next day.' 'What have we to do with this?' said Shafto, who felt himself growing pale. 'Nothing, of course,' replied Madelon sadly. 'Then what do you want?' 'What I have said. I heard that the son of Major Melfort--or MacIan as he called himself in the past time--was here at Craigengowan, and I made sae bold as to ca' and see him--the bairn I hae suckled.' 'If you nursed my grandson, as you say,' said Lady Fettercairn, 'do you not recognise him? Stand forward, Shafto.' 'Shafto--is this Mr. Shafto!' exclaimed Madelon. 'Yes, my son Lennard's son.' 'Shafto Gyle!' said Madelon bewildered. 'What _do_ you mean?' 'What I say, my leddy.' 'This is Major Melfort's only son.' 'Only nephew! The bairn I nursed--the son of Lennard Melfort and my darling Flora--was named after her, Florian, and was like herself, dark-haired, dark-eyed, and winsome. Where is he? What is the meaning of this, Mr. Shafto? I recognise ye now, though years hae passed since I saw ye.' 'She is mad or drunk!' exclaimed Shafto, starting up savagely. 'I am neither,' said Madelon, firmly and defiantly. 'Turn her out of the house!' said Shafto, with his hand on the bell. 'There is some trick here--where is Florian?' 'How the devil should I know, or be accountable for him to a creature like you?' 'Ay, ay, Mr. Shafto, as a bairn ye were aye crafty, shrewd, and evil-natured, and if a lie could hae chokit ye, ye wad hae been deid lang syne.' 'This is most unseemly language, Madelon Galbraith,' said Lady Fettercairn, rising from her chair, 'and to me it seems that you are raving.' 'Unseemly here or unseemly there, it is the truth,' said Madelon, stoutly, and, sooth to say, Lady Fettercairn's estimation and knowledge of Shafto's character endorsed the description given of it by Madelon. 'Florian was dark, and you are, as you were, fair and fause too; and Florian had what you have not, and never had, a black mole-mark on his right arm.' 'Such marks pass away,' said Shafto.