In the meantime tidings had come from Archibald Sutherland. He had reached his destination safely, and, under circumstances much more favorable than he could have hoped, had commenced his work. He had been able to render some especial service, the nature of which he did not specify, to his employer's only son, a very fine lad of fourteen or fifteen, which within a few days of his arrival brought him into Mr. Sinclair's house on the footing of a friend. Mr. Sinclair himself was, as common report said, a man of great enterprise in business, and notable perseverance, whose fortune was the work of his own hands; and blending with this, Archibald found a singular delicacy of tone and sentiment which pleased him greatly. A man of strong mould, whose "stalk of carle hemp," was invested with rare intellectual grace and refinement--a household which, under the fervent skies of that strange Western World, remained still a Scottish household, looking back with the utmost love and tenderness to its own country and home--in the atmosphere of these, the broken laird found himself not long a stranger. Mr. Sinclair had some knowledge of the North country--had heard of Archibald's family, and on some long past occasion, had seen Mrs. Catherine. This was an additional bond. The family of the merchant lived a very quiet life in a country house in the vicinity of the town, having scarcely any visitors: Archibald Sutherland, with his attainments and abilities, was an acquisition to them. His prospects were pleasant; they brightened the inner room at the Tower, and shed a ray of light even upon Anne's reveries. Something more was needed, however, to shake off the lethargic sadness that begun to overpower her. Mrs. Catherine applied the remedy. Upon a drowsy July afternoon, when one could fancy the earth, with her flushed cheek and loose robes, lying in that languid dreamy state, half way between asleep and awake, which in Scotland we call "dovering," Mrs. Catherine in her rustling silken garments, went stately down under the shadow of the trees, to Merkland. It was a very unusual honor. Mrs. Catherine was wont to receive visits, not to pay them. Anne went to the gate to receive her. Lewis who, with characteristic prudence, had already begun to devote himself to the careful managing of his lands, put away the papers that lay before him, and left the library with much wonder, to ascertain Mrs. Catherine's errand. Mrs. Ross rose very peevishly from the sofa on which she had been for the last hour enjoying her usual sleep. It was enough to make any one ill-humored to be disturbed so unexpectedly. "Now, Madam," said Mrs. Catherine, when Mrs. Ross had greeted her with great ceremony and politeness, "you may ken I have come for a special purpose; I am going to Edinburgh." "To Edinburgh!" exclaimed Mrs. Ross; "_you_, Mrs. Catherine. How shall we manage to get on at all without you?" "You will contrive it in some manner doubtless," said Mrs. Catherine, drily.