"No, you did worse. She got close to the unfortunate man," continued my wife to us, "and suddenly I noticed that she had in her hand one of those little books you buy at railway book-stalls in the Highlands, with patterns of all the tartans in them and the name of the clan underneath. By the time I got up to her she had found the right tartan in the book, and was matching it up against the back of the poor unconscious creature's kilt. Then she turned to me in a triumphant sort of way and simply _bellowed_--'M'Farlane!'" "We shall probably be hauled up before the Kirk-session," said the Admiral. "But I wonder who Sir James Fordyce's friends can be. I know most of the people who have shootings about here, but none of them are friends of his that I can think of. We must get him to come and shoot here one day. Rather late for to-morrow's drive, but there will be another on Thursday. I wonder who his host is, though?" "I might help you," said Robin. "An old man, you said, with his wife?" "Yes--oldish," said Kitty. "Was there a son with them?" "N-no." "No? Well, he would be away at the lamb-sales, perhaps," said Robin reflectively. "Was there a daughter?" "Now you mention it," said Kitty, "there was. A nice, bonny-looking girl. Twenty-four, I should say." "Twenty-three," said Robin. We all turned on him. "Now then, what is all the mystery? Out with it! Who is the girl--eh?" "She would be my sister," said Robin calmly. "And the others were my father and mother." There was a little gasp of surprise all round the table. Robin went on-- "My home is just seven miles from here. This is the first time I have got near my folk for six years. To-morrow I mean to go and see them. And they would like fine, I know," he added a little shyly, "if some of you would come with me." "I'll come," said Kitty promptly. "I should love to meet your mother, Robin." "May _I_ come, Uncle Robin?" piped Phillis. "For a birfday treat," she added, in extenuation. Applications for an invitation rained in. Apart from a desire to please a man whom we all respected--and our ready offers undoubtedly did please him--I think we were all a little curious to view the mould which had turned Robin out. "You can't _all_ go," said the Admiral at last. "There's the grouse-drive to-morrow, and eight butts to fill; not to mention the need of female society at lunch." Finally it was arranged that Robin should take Kitty and Phillis over on a sort of preliminary call, and they could arrange for the establishment of more substantial relations. But that evening, as the ladies were having their candles lit at the foot of the staircase, I heard Robin say to Dolly-- "Will you come with us to-morrow?" Dolly seemed to consider, and was about to reply, when Dermott, who never seemed very far away now, cut in. "Too late, Fordyce! Miss Rubislaw has promised to come and load for me in my butt to-morrow afternoon."