le. It was arranged for three
days. Half-an-hour after, Robert came upon Mr. Lammie emptying the two
bottles of whisky into the dunghill in the farmyard.

He returned with glad heart to Rothieden. It did not take him long to
arrange his grandmother's little affairs. He had already made up his
mind about her house and furniture. He rang the bell one morning for
Betty.

'Hae ye ony siller laid up, Betty?'

'Ay. I hae feifteen poun' i' the savin's bank.'

'An' what do ye think o' doin'?'

'I'll get a bit roomy, an' tak in washin'.

'Weel, I'll tell ye what I wad like ye to do. Ye ken Mistress
Elshender?'

'Fine that. An' a verra dacent body she is.'

'Weel, gin ye like, ye can haud this hoose, an' a' 'at's in't, jist as
it is, till the day o' yer deith. And ye'll aye keep it in order, an'
the ga'le-room ready for me at ony time I may happen to come in upo'
ye in want o' a nicht's quarters. But I wad like ye, gin ye hae nae
objections, to tak Mistress Elshender to bide wi' ye. She's turnin' some
frail noo, and I'm unner great obligation to her Sandy, ye ken.'

'Ay, weel that. He learnt ye to fiddle, Robert--I hoombly beg your
pardon, sir, Mister Robert.'

'Nae offence, Betty, I assure ye. Ye hae been aye gude to me, and I
thank ye hertily.'

Betty could not stand this. Her apron went up to her eyes.

'Eh, sir,' she sobbed, 'ye was aye a gude lad.'

'Excep' whan I spak o' Muckledrum, Betty.'

She laughed and sobbed together.

'Weel, ye'll tak Mistress Elshender in, winna ye?'

'I'll do that, sir. And I'll try to do my best wi' her.'

'She can help ye, ye ken, wi' yer washin', an' sic like.'

'She's a hard-workin' wuman, sir. She wad do that weel.'

'And whan ye're in ony want o' siller, jist write to me. An' gin
onything suld happen to me, ye ken, write to Mr. Gordon, a frien' o'
mine. There's his address in Lonnon.'

'Eh, sir, but ye are kin'. God bless ye for a'.'

She could bear no more, and left the room crying.

Everything settled at Rothieden, he returned to Bodyfauld. The most
welcome greeting he had ever received in his life, lay in the shine
of his father's eyes when he entered the room where he sat with Miss
Lammie. The next day they left for London.

CHAPTER XX. THE VANISHING.

They came to see me the very evening of their arrival. As to Andrew's
progress there could be no longer any doubt. All that was necessary for
conviction on the point was to have seen him before and to se