Rintoul and Babbie 413

all the message I send back to the gentlemen at
the Spittal who made love to me behind your
back, that this is a poor folly, and well calculated
to rouse the wrath of God.”

Now, Jean’s ear had been to the parlour key-
hole for a time, but some message she had to take
to Margaret, and what she risked saying was this:

“It’s Lord Rintoul and a party that has been
catched in the rain, and he would be obliged to
you if you could gie his bride shelter for the
nicht.”

Thus the distracted servant thought to keep
Margaret’s mind at rest until Gavin came back.

“ Lord Rintoul!” exclaimed Margaret. ‘‘ What
a pity Gavin has missed him. Of course she can
stay here. Did you say I had gone to bed? I
should not know what to say toa lord. But ask
her to come up to me after he has gone, — and,
Jean, is the parlour looking tidy?”

Lord Rintoul having departed, Jean told Bab-
bie how she had accounted to Margaret for his
visit. “And she telled me to gie you dry
claethes and her compliments, and would you
gang up to the bedroom and see her?”

Very slowly Babbie climbed the stairs. I sup-
pose she is the only person who was ever afraid
of Margaret. Her first knock on the bedroom
door was so soft that Margaret, who was sitting
up in bed, did not hear it. When Babbie entered
the room, Margaret’s first thought was that there
could be no other so beautiful as this, and her
second was that the stranger seemed even more
timid than herself. After a few minutes’ talk she
laid aside her primness, a weapon she had drawn in