"Tell the housekeeper I would like to see her now," said Lady Vincent. Katie tossed her head and went out. Katie was already jealous of the housekeeper. In a few minutes Mrs. Murdock entered. "I hope your leddyship is better," she said, courtesying. "I am better; do not stand; sit down on that chair beside me," said Claudia kindly. The dame sank slowly into the offered seat and said: "Will your leddyship please to take onything?" "Nothing, just yet." "Can I do naething for you, me leddy?" "Yes, thank you; you can take that flagon of carmelite water on the stand beside you and bathe my forehead and temples while you sit there," said Claudia slowly and hesitatingly; for she was thinking how best to open the subject that occupied her mind. At length, while the dame was carefully bathing her head, Claudia said, with assumed carelessness: "Mrs. Dugald is very beautiful." "Ou, aye, me leddy, she's weel eneugh to look upon, if that was a'," replied the housekeeper dryly. "Has she been here long?" "Ever sin' Mr. Kenneth died, me leddy." "Mr. Kenneth?" echoed Claudia, in an interrogative tone; for she remembered well that Kenneth was the name of Lord Vincent's younger brother, said to have been married to La Faustina; but she wished to hear more without, however, compromising herself by asking direct questions. "Mr. Kenneth?" she repeated, looking into the housekeeper's face. "Ou, aye, your leddyship; just the Honorable Kenneth Dugald, puir lad!" "Why do you say poor lad?" "I beg your leddyship's pardon. I mean just naething. It's on'y just a way I ha'." Claudia reflected a moment; and then, though it went sorely against her pride so to speak to a dependent, she said: "Mrs. Murdock, I am a very young and inexperienced woman; I have been motherless from my infancy; I am 'a stranger in a strange land'; unacquainted even with the members of my husband's family; my meeting with Mrs. Dugald here was unexpected, Lord Vincent never having mentioned her existence to me; my first impression of her was very unfavorable; some words you dropped deepened that impression; and now I feel that there are circumstances with which I ought to be made acquainted and with which you can acquaint me; will you do so?" "Aye, me leddy, and with the freer conscience that I ken weel his lairdship the airl would approve. Ye ken, me leddy, there were but twa brithers; Laird Vincent and the Honorable Kenneth Dugald?" "I am aware of that." "Aweel they were in Paris tegither and fell in somewhere with this quean." "This--what?" "This player-bodie, me leddy; who afterwards put the glamour over Mr. Kenneth's eyes to make her Mrs. Dugald." "Oh," said Claudia to herself, "then that is true; the woman really is the widow of Kenneth Dugald and the sister-in-law of Lord Vincent. Go on, Mrs. Murdock; I am listening."