"O, Mr. Fenton!" exclaimed Lady Grisel, whose artificial pride now quite gave way before the natural warmth and gratitude of her heart. And her broad silver barnacles became dim with tears as she received the documents which bore the well-flourished signature, "Perth, Cancellarius," and the seal of Council. "God knows, good youth," she continued, pressing Walter's hand in her's, "that if I repined much at the sad occurrences of the last few weeks, it was for the sake of this fair child alone. Alake! at her age to be thrown into poverty and obscurity were to die a living death--but now--" Lilian, in a transport of tears and joy, threw her arms around her aged relative and kissed her. "Poverty and obscurity!" thought poor Walter; "How can I dare to love a being so far above me, when these are all I have to share with her?" With her snood unbound and her bright hair flying in beautiful disorder, the lively girl rushed from Elsie to Meinie alternately kissing and embracing them, till honest Hab began to rub his mouth with his cuff in expectation of the favour going round; and in her girlish delight, she seemed a thousand times more charming than when clad in her long stomacher, and compelled to imitate Lady Grisel's starched decorum and old-fashioned stateliness of demeanour. "Ah, good Heavens," she suddenly exclaimed, "we are quite forgetting poor cousin Quentin." "The deuce take cousin Quentin!" thought Walter, and he hastened to inform her that the Council had resolved to cut the Captain into joints the moment they could lay hands on him. Meinie, whose cakes had long since been scorched to a cinder, now gave Hab a box on the ear, and retreating from him with a pout of rustic coquetry, placed several three-legged stools near the fire, around which they seated themselves by desire of Lady Grisel, herself occupying the great elbow-chair, against which her tall walking-cane was placed by Elsie with great formality. The venerable cottager was very lavish in her praises of Walter, for whom, as the bearer of such good tidings, she felt a cordial admiration; and, heedless of Lilian's confusion, continued to whisper it in her ear. "A handsome cavalier, hinny. Saw ye ever sic een?--they glint like a gosshawk's. His hair is like the corbie's wing wi' the dew on it; and his cheeks are like red rowan berries. He is indeed a winsome young gallant, my doo Lilian!--no ane o' our law-breakers, who spend the blessed Sabbath in ruffling through the streets in masks and mantles, or dicing, drinking, or playing at shovel-board in a vile change-house, or playing at pell-mell like the godless Charles; but a gospel-fearing and discreet youth, as gude as he's bonnie, I doubtna." "Oh, hush, Elsie!--he will hear you," said Lilian in a breathless voice. "What did you say his name is, hinny?" asked Elsie, who was rather deaf. "I never said," whispered Lilian; "but it is Walter Fenton--a pretty one, is it not, nurse?"