ved in,
and having heard all that he had to say about his sister Aphra, I sent
a hundred pounds to her--and our address. Jeremy said that would bring
her. We felt--or at least I, who knew the ways and thoughts, the
chatterings and clatterings of Breckonside, felt that there was need
for a good, careful, managing woman there. From what Jeremy told me, I
was certain that Euphrasia Orrin was that woman.

"She was. I could not have chosen better. Yet, for all that, the
madman had deceived me in the way that all such have, with a cunning
far above that of sane and grave persons, such as myself.

"Euphrasia or Aphra Orrin (as she was called) arrived in a few days.
But she brought with her three hare-brained sisters, concerning whom,
if their brother had breathed so much as one word, neither Aphra nor
any of them should ever have set foot within my door. I should have
claimed my granddaughter, at that time cared for by a decent working
woman named Edgar--and for whose upkeep I subscribed according to my
means. I should have taken her, I say, and trained her up to fulfil my
needs. Between us, Jeremy and I could have done it.*

* "I say nothing of the return and death of my daughter Bell. Save
that she left the parish and returned burdened with a brat, her coming
had no interest for me, though the neighbours made a foolish work about
it, going so far as to give me an ill name on account of my treatment
of her!"

"But Aphra was a clever woman, and as soon as I saw her, and as soon as
she had spoken with Jeremy, I knew for certain that there would be no
turning her out. She meant to stay at Deep Moat Grange, and stay she
would and did, she and her yelping litter of she-whelps. Of her I only
asked one thing, that she should confine their vagaries to the space
contained between the pond and the moat. The house had now been put
into some repair, the drawbridge restored, and we were safe within our
own guards and barriers. As for the country clatter, we took no heed
to that. Besides, whenever there was a fair or promising market, it
was agreed that (for my character's sake) I should be found with my
lawyer in Edinburgh, or in the company of some other decent, producible
people.

"The advantages of the Grange for our business are manifold. Firstly,
should this fall into the hands of a successor actuated by a like
hatred of humanity and lack of moral prejudice, and supposing him to be
served by the same able tho