A sharp whistle startled her; and she sprang to her feet, and hastily dried her eyes. A Gordon setter came ranging through the strip of birch-wood, and then its companion; both dogs merely glanced at her—they were far too intent on their immediate work to take further notice. And then it quickly occurred to her that, if this were Lord Ailine who was coming along, perhaps she might appeal to him—she might beg of him to write to Ronald—or even to go to Glasgow—for had not these two been companions and friends? And he was a man—he would know what to do—what could she do, a helpless girl? Presently Lord Ailine appeared, coming leisurely along the banks of the little stream in company with a keeper and a young lad; and when he saw her, he raised his cap and greeted her. ’Don’t let us disturb you, Miss Douglas,’ said he. ’Gathering flowers for the dinner-table, I suppose?’ ’I hope I have done no harm,’ said she, though her mind was so agitated that she scarcely knew what she said. ’I—I have not seen any birds—nor a hare either.’ ’Harm? No, no,’ he said good-naturedly. ’I hope your mamma is quite well. There’s a haunch of a roe-buck at the lodge that Duncan can take along this afternoon——’ ’Your lordship,’ said the keeper reprovingly, ’there’s Bella drawing on to something.’ ’Good morning, Miss Douglas,’ he said quickly, and the next moment he was off. But even during that brief interview she had instinctively arrived at the conclusion that it was not for her to spread about this bruit in Inver-Mudal. She could not. This news about Ronald to come from her lips—with perhaps this or that keeper to carry it on to the inn and make it the topic of general wonder there? They would hear of it soon enough. But no one—not even any one in her own household—would be able to guess what it meant to her; as yet she herself could hardly realise it, except that all of a sudden her life seemed to have grown dark. She had to get back to the cottage in time for the mid-day dinner, and she sate at table there, pale and silent, and with a consciousness as of guilt weighing upon her. She even did her best to eat something, in order to avoid their remarks and looks; but she failed in that, and was glad to get away as soon as she could to the privacy of her own room. ’I’m sure I don’t know what’s the matter with Williamina,’ Mrs. Douglas said with a sigh. ’She has not been looking herself for many a day back; and she seems going from bad to worse—she ate hardly a scrap at dinner.’ Of course it was for the Doctor to prescribe. ’She wants a change,’ he said. ’A change,’ the little dame retorted with some asperity, for this was a sore subject with her. ’She would have had a change long before now, but for her and you together. Three months ago I wanted her sent to Glasgow——’ ’Glasgow—for any one in indifferent health—’ the highland Doctor managed to interpolate; but she would not listen.