'Only, sir, that I have just had a letter,' began Florian, colouring deeply, and pausing. 'From home?' 'Yes, sir.' 'I hope it contains pleasant news.' 'It is from one who is very dear to me.' 'Oh, the old story--a girl, no doubt?' 'Yes, sir.' 'The more fool you: the faith of the sex is writ in water, as the poet has it.' 'I hope not, in my case and in some others, Captain Hammersley; but if you will pardon me I cannot help stating that in my letter there is something that concerns yourself and your happiness very nearly indeed.' Hammersley stared at this information. 'Concerns me?' he asked. 'Yes, and Miss Finella Melfort: permit me to mention her name.' The red blood suffused Hammersley's bronzed face from temples to chin, and he sprang to his feet. 'What the devil _do_ you mean, MacIan?' he exclaimed sharply; his supreme astonishment, however, exceeding any indignation to hear that name on a stranger's lips. 'I know well that you are not what you seem by your present position in life; but how came you to know the name of that young lady?' 'She is mentioned in this letter, sir--the letter of the only being in all the world who cares for me,' replied Florian, with a palpable break in his voice. 'Mentioned in what fashion?' asked Hammersley curtly and with knitted brows. 'Please to read this paragraph for yourself, sir.' 'Thanks.' Hammersley took the letter, and saw that it was written in a most lady-like hand. 'Dulcie?' said he, just glancing at the signature; 'is she your sister?' 'I have no sister. I think I have told you that I am alone in the world.' 'I have a delicacy in reading a young lady's letter,' said Hammersley, whose hand shook on perceiving by the next glance that it was dated from 'Craigengowan.' Florian indicated the long paragraph with a finger; and as Hammersley read it his face became again deeply suffused. 'Permit me again, my good fellow,' said he as he read it twice, as if to impress its contents on his mind; and then, returning the letter with unsteady hand to Florian, he seated himself on the edge of the camp-bed and passed a hand across his forehead. 'Thank you for showing me this! You can understand what I felt and thought on seeing the episode this young lady explains so kindly in her letter--God bless the girl! It seems all too good to be true.' 'You do not know the vile trickery of which this fellow Shafto is capable,' said Florian.