“Why didn’t you let us know of your illness before?” exclaimed Lady Nancy reproachfully. “We are your friends.” Robert flushed painfully. “My miserable health was brought on and aggravated solely by my headstrong, thoughtless carelessness, and I felt so heartily ashamed of myself that I sought to conceal from all friends my real condition, but ’tis out at last. How long I will be confined to the house, God alone knows,” and he sighed deeply. “Do not give yourself up to despondency, my lad,” encouraged the Duke brightly, “nor speak the language of despair. You must get well.” “Indeed I must!” returned Robert grimly, “for I have three strong, healthy boys and if I am nipt off at the command of fate—gracious God! what would become of my little flock?” and a look of distraction swept over his face at the thought. “Don’t distress yourself needlessly, Robert!” exclaimed the Duke kindly. Then he continued earnestly, “If anything should happen to you, if you should be taken off before I am called, I promise that the children of Robert Burns shall never come to want.” “’Twould be a lasting disgrace to Scotland,” flashed Lady Nancy with kindling eyes. Robert grasped the Duke’s hand impulsively. “God bless ye for your noble assurance!” he cried. “Ye have lifted a heavy weight of care and anxiety off my mind.” “Why, father!” suddenly exclaimed Lady Nancy, “I vow if you are not forgetting your principal errand here.” He looked at her with a puzzled frown. “Mr. Burns’ promotion,” she reminded him laughingly. “Gad zooks!” he exclaimed in amazement, jumping to his feet. “What an old dolt I am, to be sure.” Hastily diving his hand in the inside pocket of his elaborate, black-flowered satin square-cut, he pulled out a long paper with a red seal attached and handed it to the now bewildered Robert, who, after a quick glance at their smiling faces, opened the paper and quickly read its contents. Then he gave a gasp, followed by an ejaculation of delighted surprise and gratification. “My lord,” he exclaimed, “this is indeed a gift to bring gladness to a man’s heart. I thank ye most gratefully for my promotion, and will endeavor to perform my duties to the best of my poor abilities as soon as my strength returns.” And the look of anxiety gave way to one of comparative contentment. “And your immediate recovery is of the first importance,” returned the Duke brightly. “You need a change.” “Why not come to town, where you can have the best of medical attendance?” asked Lady Nancy quietly, though her heart beat furiously as she offered the suggestion. “That is impossible,” replied Robert. “The medical folk tell me that my last and only chance is bathing and sea air and riding. With my promotion and the increase of salary it brings, I can now obey their mandates,” and he held the paper to his breast with a sigh of relief. “Then the sooner you start, the better,” remarked the Duke kindly.