Weeping, Beenie went forth to do her mistress’s behest. Weeping, she put on her big bonnet, with a veil over it, of a kind of Spanish lace with huge flowers, which was the fashion of the day, and which allowed here and there a patch of her tearful countenance to appear, blocking out the rest. She found some difficulty in gaining admittance to Ronald, who was, his landlady informed her, “dressing to go out to his dinner,” as Lily had foretold, and it was in the full glory of evening dress that he came forth upon her after she had fought her way to his sitting-room, and had waited some time for his appearance. He was very much startled by the sight of her, and came up taking her hand, demanding: “Lily--how is my Lily?” with an energy and anxiety which partly quenched Beenie’s unreasonable exasperation at the sight of his dress. “She is here, sir, and wishful to see you,” said Beenie, “when it’s convenient to you.” “Lily here--where? What do you mean? Convenient! Do you mean she is at the door?” “It is not likely, sir,” cried Beenie with indignant disgust. “What do you mean, woman? Lily who, you wrote to me, was just recovered from a nearly fatal illness!” “And that’s true. Her blood would have been on the head of them that brought it on her if it had not been for the mercy of God.” “Where is she?” cried Lumsden, seizing his hat. “She said,” said Beenie with much intensity: “‘He will most likely be going out to his dinner. I will not have him break his engagement for me!’” “I think,” he cried, “that you mean to drive me mad! Where is she? Does any one know she is here?” “It is known she is here,” said Beenie sententiously, “to get change of air, as is thought, after her long, long illness; but, in fack, to look for her dear little bairn, which is the object in her ain mind, my poor bonnie leddy. And, oh, sir! if ye ken where the baby is, as ye must ken, having taken the responsibility upon your hands, for we canna find him, we canna find him! and it will just break her heart and she will die!”