re it is no fault of mine! The parties I gave to
get him and Jessie Douglas together! Donald was quite savage about the
bills. And after all Uncle Colin went and caught cold, and would
not come! I would not have minded half so much if it had been Jessie
Douglas; but to have her at Gowanbrae--a glass-blower's daughter--isn't
it too bad?"

"Her father was a clergyman of a good Welsh family."

"Was he? Then her brother or somebody had something to do with glass."

Attempts at explanation were vain, the good lady had an incapacity of
attention, and was resolved on her grievance. She went away at last
because "those horrid doctors will be gone now, and I will be able to
see poor papa, and tell him when I will take home the baby, though I
don't believe he will live to be taken anywhere, poor dear little man."

She handled him go much more scientifically than Rachel could do, that
it was quite humiliating, and yet to listen to her talk, and think of
committing any child to her charge was sickening, and Rachel already
felt a love and pity for her little charge that made her wretched at the
thoughts of the prognostic about him.

"You are tired with your visitors my dear," said Mr. Clare, holding out
his hand towards her, when she returned to him.

"How do you know?" she asked.

"By the sound of your move across the room, and the stream of talk I
heard above must be enough to exhaust any one."

"She thinks badly of that poor child," said Rachel, her voice trembling.

"My dear, it would take a good deal to make me uneasy about anything I
heard in that voice."

"And if he lives, she is to have the charge of him," added Rachel.

"That is another matter on which I would suspend my fears," said Mr.
Clare. "Come out, and take a turn in the peacock path. You want air more
than rest. So you have been talked to death."

"And I am afraid she is gone to talk Alick to death! I wonder when Alick
will come home," she proceeded, as they entered on the path. "She says
Colonel Keith had a telegram about the result of the trial, but she does
not know what it was, nor indeed who was tried."

"Alick will not keep you in doubt longer than he can help," said Mr.
Clare.

"You know all about it;" said Rachel. "The facts every one must know,
but I mean that which led to them."

"Alick told me you had suffered very much."

"I don't know whether it is a right question, but if it is, I should
much like to know what Alick did say. I begged