The stranger, however, did not seem inclined to continue the conversation; he sank into his seat again; gathered his rugs round him; and contented himself as heretofore by idly watching the lamplight touching here and there on the harness and lighting up the horses’ heads and ears. Mile after mile, hour after hour, went by in this monotonous fashion; and to the stranger it seemed as if he were piercing farther and farther into some unknown land unpeopled by any human creatures. Not a ray of light from any hut or farmhouse was visible anywhere. But as the time went on, there was at least some little improvement in the weather. Either the moonlight was growing stronger, or the thin drizzle clearing off; at all events he could now make out ahead of him—and beyond the flat moorland—the dusky masses of some mountains, with one great peak overtopping them all. He asked the name. ’That is Ben Clebrig, sir.’ And then through the mist and the moonlight a dull sheet of silver began to disclose itself dimly. ’Is that a lake down there?’ ’Loch Naver, sir.’ ’Then we are not far from Inver-Mudal?’ ’No far noo; just a mile or two, sir,’ was the consoling answer. And indeed when he got to the end of his journey, and reached the little hostelry set far amid these moorland and mountain wilds, his welcome there made ample amends. He was ushered into a plain, substantially furnished, and spacious sitting-room, brightly lit up by the lamp that stood on the white cloth of the table, and also by the blazing glare from the peats in the mighty fireplace; and when his eyes had got accustomed to this bewilderment of warmth and light, he found, awaiting his orders, and standing shyly at the door, a pretty, tall, fair-haired girl, who, with the softest accent in the world, asked him what she should bring him for supper. And when he said he did not care to have anything, she seemed quite surprised and even concerned. It was a long, long drive, she said, in her shy and pretty way; and would not the gentleman have some hare-soup—that they had kept hot for him? and so forth. But her coaxing was of no avail. ’By the way, what is your name, my girl?’ he said. ’Nelly, sir.’ ’Well, then, Nelly, do you happen to know whether Lord Ailine’s keeper is anywhere in the neighbourhood?’ ’He is in the unn, sir, waiting for you.’ ’Oh, indeed. Well, tell him I should like to see him. And say, what is his name?’ ’Ronald, sir.’ ’Ronald?’ ’That is his first name,’ she explained. ’His "first name"? I thought that was one of our Americanisms.’ She did not seem to understand this. ’Ronald Strang is his name, sir; but we jist call him Ronald.’ ’Very well, Nelly; you go and tell him I want to see him.’ ’Ferry well, sir,’ she said; and away she went.