’Will she no?’ said Mrs. Graham, with a darting eye. ’But some’ll take a wastrel, and no be able to keep him when they’ve got him!’ Nancy winced visibly under this vigorous blow, from no uncertain arm. ’My woman!’ her hostess proceeded, ’if I find you setting Ally against her beau, it’s the door you’ll be shown, and that in a hurry! She’s got to take Mr. Cheape, or she’s got to beg. There’s some’s content to beg, but it’ll no be my daughter!’ And the lady of The Mains, gathering up the wedding silk, and with her head in the air, marched out of the room. Nancy sank back in her chair, worsted, she felt, in this encounter. ’Your good mother, Ally,’ she said to her friend, when Alison, appeared, ’is somewhat bludgeon-like in her methods of war. My poor little weapons are too fine.’ Alison smiled rather wanly. ’Our mother is very strong in her wishes, and the getting of them,’ she remarked. ’’Tis not easy to move her.’ ’Ah, but wait till I get at your father,’ cried Nancy, recovering her spirits. ’I’m a wonderful hand with the men.’ ’My mother is angry with you now,’ said Alison, quietly, ’and with me too. She has put me to the clear-starching with the maids in the laundry, all the afternoon, for fear I should sit with you.’ ’Oh, ho!’ said Nancy, ’sets the wind in that quarter? But we’ll see whose cleverest yet. Keep a good heart, Ally—you’ll not marry Mr. Cheape!’ But Alison shook her head despondently, and vanished. There were no more twilight talks and songs in the gloamings after that. Thus matters remained at a standstill for several days, and Nancy chafed under the well-meant but awkward attentions of Kate and Maggie, who were sent to take Alison’s place in the best room, about the invalid. She longed to be gone. The dreariness of the country at this season depressed the little townswoman, and she settled a day in her mind for her departure. ’But I’ll save that child from her virago of a mother,’ she said to herself, with determination, ’even if I have to carry her off with me by force. Though where,’ she added, with a little grimace to herself, ’though where I’m to put the big creature, if I take her, Lord only knows! Is there a corner of my garret she can sleep in? Well, Providence must see to that!’ Nancy was never frustrated in a kind action by so paltry a detail. The charming vision of herself in the blotched old mirror—she was at her first _toilette_—smiled back at her approvingly, with the humid sparkle of her long, soft, dark eyes. She was about to try her arts on the laird. *CHAPTER IX.*