There was no reply. The voice had departed; and the terrors of her position returned with gathered force in the desolation of redoubled silence that closes around an unanswered question. A trembling seized her, and she could hardly persuade herself that she was not slipping by slow inches down the incline. Minutes that seemed hours passed. At length she heard feet and voices, and presently her father called her name, but she was too agitated to reply except with a moan. A voice she was yet more glad to hear followed--the voice of Malcolm, ringing confident and clear. “Haud awa’, my lord,” it said, “an’ lat _me_ come at her.” “You’re not going down so!” said the marquis angrily. “You’ll slip to a certainty, and send her to the bottom.” “My lord,” returned Malcolm, “I ken what I’m aboot, an’ ye dinna. I beg ’at ye’ll haud ootby, an’ no upset the lassie, for somethin’ maun depen’ upon hersel’. Jist gang awa’ back into that ither vout, my lord. I insist upo’ ’t.” His lordship obeyed, and Malcolm, who had been pulling off his boots as he spoke, now addressed Mair. “Here, Peter!” he said, “haud on to the tail o’ that rope like grim deith.--Na, I dinna want it roon’ me; it’s to gang roon’ her. But dinna ye haul, for it micht hurt her, an’ she’ll lippen to me and come up o’ hersel’. Dinna be feart, my bonny leddy: there’s nae danger--no ae grain. I’m comin’.” With the rope in his hand, he walked down the incline, and kneeling by Florimel, close to the broken wall, proceeded to pass the rope under and round her waist, talking to her, as he did so, in the tone of one encouraging a child. “Noo, my leddy! Noo, my bonny leddy! Ae meenute, an’ ye’re as safe ’s gien ye lay i’ yer minnie’s lap!” “I daren’t get up, Malcolm! I daren’t turn my back to it! I shall drop right down into it if I do!” she faltered, beginning to sob. “Nae fear o’ that! There! ye canna fa’ noo, for Blue Peter has the ither en’, and Peter’s as strong ’s twa pownies. I’m gaein to tak aff yer shune neist.” So saying, he lowered himself a little through the breach, holding on by the broken wall with one hand, while he gently removed her sandal shoes with the other. Drawing himself up again, he rose to his feet, and taking her hand, said, “Noo, my leddy, tak a gude grip o’ my han’, an’ as I lift ye, gie a scram’le wi’ yer twa bit feet, an’ as sune ’s ye fin’ them aneth ye, jist gang up as gien ye war clim’in’ a gey stey brae (_rather steep ascent_). Ye cudna fa’ gien ye tried yer warst.”