Annie gently drew her attention to the facts, telling her that it was clear that the ball of thread had done its duty well. The alarm had begun with Mr Hope, the advocate. He had demanded that the coffin supposed to contain the remains of Lady Carse should be taken up and searched. When he appeared likely to obtain his demand, Lord Carse had avoided the scandal of the proceeding by acknowledging that it had been a sham funeral. Annie believed that now the lady had only to wait as patiently as she could, in the reasonable hope that her friends would not rest until they had rescued her. At this moment Lady Carse's quick sense was caught by Adam's pulling the widow's gown and asking in a whisper, "What is a Pretender?" and by Annie's soft reply, "Hush, my dear!" "Hush! do you say?" exclaimed Lady Carse, with a start. "What do you mean by saying `hush'? Is the Pretender come? Answer me. Has the Pretender landed in Scotland?" "He has not landed, madam. He is in yonder vessel. You had a great deliverance, madam, in not being taken away by his boat last night." "Deliverance! There is no deliverance for me," said the lady. "Every hope is dashed. There is no kindness in holding out new hopes to me. My enemies will not let me stay here now my friends know where to find me. I shall be carried to Saint Kilda, or some other horrible place; or, if they have not time to take care of me while they are setting up their new king, they will murder me. Oh, I shall never live to see Edinburgh again: and my husband and Lovat will be lording it there, and laughing at me and my vain struggles during all these years, while I lie helpless in my grave, or tossing like a weed in these cruel seas. If God will but grant my prayer, and let me haunt them! Stop, stop: do not go away." "I must, madam, if you talk so." "Stop. I want to know about this Pretender. Why did you not tell us sooner? Why not the moment you knew?" "I considered it was the steward's business to tell what he thought proper: but I have no objection to give all the particulars. I know he whom they call Prince Charlie is in yonder vessel, which carries eighteen guns. It cannot hold many soldiers; and Sir Alexander does not believe that he will be joined by any from his islands. He is thought to have a good many officers with him--" "How many?" "Some say twenty; some say forty. It is pretty sure that Glengarry will join him--" "Glengarry! Then all is lost." "Sir Alexander thinks not. He and Macleod have written to the Lord President, that not a man from these islands will join." "They have written to Duncan Forbes! Now, if they were wise, they would send me to him--You need not look so surprised. He is a friend of mine; and glad enough he would be at this moment to know what I could tell him of the Edinburgh Jacobites. Where is the Lord President at this time?" "In the north, I think, preparing against the rising."