'Noo ye maunna gang awa' till ye get something,' she said, after taking the receipt in request from a drawer within her reach, and laying it upon the table. But ere she could ring the bell which stood by her side, one of her servants came in. 'Please, mem,' she said, 'Miss Letty and Miss Lizzy's seein' efter the bonny leddy; and sae I maun come to you.' 'Is she a' that bonny, Meg?' asked her mistress. 'Na, na, she's nae sae fearsome bonny; but Miss Letty's unco ta'en wi' her, ye ken. An' we a' say as Miss Letty says i' this hoose. But that's no the pint. Mr. Lumley's here, seekin' a gill: is he to hae't?' 'Has he had eneuch already, do ye think, Meg?' 'I dinna ken aboot eneuch, mem; that's ill to mizzer; but I dinna think he's had ower muckle.' 'Weel, lat him tak' it. But dinna lat him sit doon.' 'Verra weel, mem,' said Meg, and departed. 'What gars Mr. Lumley say 'at my gran'father was the blin' piper o' Portcloddie? Can ye tell me, Miss Naper?' asked Robert. 'Whan said he that, Robert?' 'Jist as I cam in.' Miss Napier rang the bell. Another maid appeared. 'Sen' Meg here direckly.' Meg came, her eyes full of interrogation. 'Dinna gie Lumley a drap. Set him up to insult a young gentleman at my door-cheek! He s' no hae a drap here the nicht. He's had ower muckle, Meg, already, an' ye oucht to hae seen that.' ''Deed, mem, he 's had mair than ower muckle, than; for there's anither gill ower the thrapple o' 'm. I div my best, mem, but, never tastin' mysel', I canna aye tell hoo muckle 's i' the wame o' a' body 'at comes in.' 'Ye're no fit for the place, Meg; that's a fac'.' At this charge Meg took no offence, for she had been in the place for twenty years. And both mistress and maid laughed the moment they parted company. 'Wha's this 'at's come the nicht, Miss Naper, 'at they're sae ta'en wi'?' asked Robert. 'Atweel, I dinna ken yet. She's ower bonnie by a' accoonts to be gaein' about her lane (alone). It's a mercy the baron's no at hame. I wad hae to lock her up wi' the forks and spunes.' 'What for that?' asked Robert. But Miss Napier vouchsafed no further explanation. She stuffed his pockets with sweet biscuits instead, dismissed him in haste, and rang the bell. 'Meg, whaur hae they putten the stranger-leddy?' 'She's no gaein' to bide at our hoose, mem.' 'What say ye, lass? She's never gaein' ower to Lucky Happit's, is she?' 'Ow na, mem. She's a leddy, ilka inch o' her. But she's some sib (relation) to the auld captain, and she's gaein' doon the street as sune's Caumill's ready to tak her bit boxes i' the barrow. But I doobt there'll be maist three barrowfu's o' them.' 'Atweel. Ye can gang.' CHAPTER IV. SHARGAR.