Tammas came up to me whispering quietly. "We maun tell ye this, Mr. Jack, it’s only fair that ye should ken. We hae keepit’ oor ain counsel a’ these years about oor lassie, an’ that which we wad like ye to ken aboot her Colonel Goff will tell ye. But this ye maun ken, there is behind her on her faither’s side that verra intensity of nature so highly keyed for joy or sorrow, that it has sent mony o’ her forbears amang the gentle leddies o’ her hoose to early deaths, even to taking their ain lives. Ay, Elsie is jist sae like her faither’s sister, the bonnie ane that suicided for love. Eh, but oor hearts are wae aboot oor bairn. She’s shut hersel’ in her room a’ day, but jist afore ye cam’ she gaed off to the wood ower yonder." "Ay, ay, if there’s ony ane in this worl’ that can help us it’s you, as I said to Tammas afore ye cam’. The Lord be thankit for your coming!" "Ay, but the lassie;—Mr. Jack, would you let them that raised you be plain to your face as becomes honest folks with those they love?" I nodded. "Then Elsie cares na’ a bawbee for this bold rascallion—it’s you she loves, Mr. Jack, an’ wi’ a’ respect and deference for so delicate a thing, you’ll sune ken that ye hae the love o’ a lassie wham the highest in England and Scotland wad be prood to mate wi’." At first I could not find her. She was hidden in her favorite place, a natural arbor of low dogwoods overgrown with a beautiful root of tangled wild-grape. I was never before more calm, for the seriousness of it all was on me. Not only was her own reputation, her future happiness and life at stake, but that of others also. The hint given me by Marget made things clear. If I ever needed tact I needed it now. I was ready for any concession to save her from the position she was in, even to forget Eloise, if I could. I decided that it was best that she should not know that I knew anything. My first glance showed me how seriously she was taking her trouble. I had never seen such sorrow in her eyes, eyes which now fought defiantly the gloom that was settling in them, as a child’s when it knows for the first time its mother has died. I sat down beside her, and without speaking drew her to me. "My little Heart’s-Ease," I said, "you’ll let your prince help you?" I let her cry on my shoulder until she cared to talk—stroking her hair. "I thought you had forgotten me," she said. "Where have you been so long?" "Oh, I had much to do—to think about—that needed doing quickly. First I had to move and get settled. I live with Dr. Gottlieb now—well—it is a long story, but I’m—I have no home now, Heart’s-Ease." "You shall live with us if you wish—if you will—Tammas and Marget and me." I laughed boyishly. "I will if it comes to a rub."