“I shall probably miss you more than you will miss me, sweet child,” and Menstrie looked at her with a strange longing pain in his heart. It was thirteen years since any one person had filled his life as this child had done, and now he was to lose her. “Surely,” he said to himself, “life is compact of most mysterious bitterness”; but he tried to be cheerful for the child’s sake and said, “Never mind, Aline, I shall come and see you again. I think I shall try and become a packman like your friend who gave you your necklace, if I can get some money somehow to begin, and then I can pay many visits to Holwick. I believe I could disguise myself well enough, as I do not think that any one here really knows me,--the few that saw me will have forgotten me. We can meet in this room and I shall be able to bring you news and some interesting things from far away.” “Yes, do bring me a chatelaine,” said Audry. “I have always wanted one and Father has either forgotten or been unable to get it.” “Is there anything you would like, birdeen?” said Ian, addressing Aline. Aline thought for a moment; why should he bring her things, he was obviously poor and never likely to be anything else? What was the younger son of a yeoman who had been a wanderer, a smith and a soldier of fortune ever likely to have in the way of money? Even her own father who had been a small Laird had never been able to purchase her the necklace that he had so desired to do. “I do not want you to bring me anything,” she answered finally, “if only you can keep yourself safe,” and then she added hesitatingly, “Would a Greek Testament be expensive?” “No, not at all,” said Ian. “Would you like one, little angel?” “Yes, very much indeed; but oh, I am afraid it will be a long time between one visit and the next, and we shall not know what has become of you,” and Aline sighed. “I think I could write to you sometimes,” he said. “We might get hold of Walter Margrove, who suggested something of the sort to you, and for greater security we could make duplicates of the parchment with the holes that you found in the book. I could write the letter so that it looked like an announcement of my wares.” They discussed the matter for some time and the next day set about making the parchment slips, and for the following few evenings they were busy with several preparations. Ian’s clothes all had to be mended and put in good order and they took some of the clothes that they had found in the secret room and by slight alterations were able to make him a second outfit. They also found a leathern wallet that with a little patching made a sound serviceable article. Ian further made a suggestion to Aline in case they should have reason to suspect that the key to their correspondence was known. “Let us take your name and mine,” he said, “to make the foundation of a series of letters and we will write the names downward like this-- A L I N E” “Yes, and what next?” said Aline.