[Sidenote: THE QUEEN AND SCOTTISH COTTAGERS.] The Queen takes especial pleasure in visiting the old women's cottages, by some of whom, we have been told, she is not unfrequently addressed--or at least was so, when she was yet new to the north and the northerners new to her--as "Mrs. Albert." One old dame of eighty-six, erect and dignified as she sat at her spinning-wheel, received personally from Her Majesty the gift of a warm flannel petticoat. This was her pious and eloquent form of thanks: "May the Lord ever attend you and yours, here and hereafter, and may the Lord be a guide to ye, and keep ye from all harm!" Another aged pensioner, who was quite friendly, and shook hands with all her party of visitors, chose this form of benediction: "May the Lord attend you with mirth and with joy; may He ever be with you in this world, and when ye leave it!" [Sidenote: THE QUEEN IN DISGUISE.] The Queen's mode of travelling as an _incognita_ has never gone beyond a journey of three or four days' duration to some Highland district, in which the very amplitude of her retinue, even when abridged of its usual proportions, prevented her passing otherwise than as a person of distinction, but in which it was possible to keep her _queenly_ rank undiscovered. Sometimes the mask was successfully worn to the end of the trip, to the great enjoyment of the Queen, her "gentle" attendants, and her servants. On one or two occasions, recognitions, unfortunate for the success of the very innocent plot, were made by persons to whom the Queen's face was familiar. On one of these trips, two shabby vehicles contained the whole party, which consisted of the Royal pair, Sir George Grey, Lady Churchill, and a small complement of servants. It had been arranged that the tourists should pass as Lord and Lady Churchill (the Queen and Prince assuming these _roles_), Lady Churchill becoming Miss Spencer, and Sir George Grey becoming "Dr." Grey. Once or twice the servants, who were of necessity in the plot, forgot their instructions, and blurted out "your Majesty," and "your Royal Highness;" but, luckily, no one heard the _faux pas_. After a very long and fatiguing drive through a district remarkably denuded of habitations, they arrived, at nightfall, at an inn of very small pretensions. They alighted, Sir George Grey and Lady Churchill, faithful to the necessities of the situation, giving no indication, by any deference of manner, of the quality of their fellow-travellers. Being ushered into small but tidy sleeping and dressing apartments, they had their travel-stains removed, and sat down to such a dinner as the resources of the establishment afforded. The two gillies in attendance were to have waited at table, but their bashfulness prevented their undertaking duties so entirely out of their line; so a damsel in ringlets, attached to the inn, performed the necessary duties. The repast consisted of a very delicate and delicious Scottish soup, known as