"My Lady Clementina," he said, "will you oblige me by going to my sister
in the room at the top of the stair?"

"I will, my lord," she answered, and went.

Malcolm walked up to Liftore. "My lord," he said, "my sister takes her
leave of you."

"I must have my dismissal from her own lips."

"You shall have it from the hands of my fishermen.--Take him away."

"You shall hear from me, my lord marquis, if such you be," said Liftore.

"Let it be of your repentance, then, my lord," said Malcolm. "That I
shall be glad to hear of."

As he turned from him he saw Caley gliding through the little group of
servants toward the door. He walked after her, laid his hand on her
shoulder and whispered a word in her ear. She grew gray rather than
white, and stood still.

Turning again to go to Florimel, he saw the fishermen stopped with their
charge in the doorway by Mr. Morrison and Mr. Soutar, entering together.

"My lord! my lord!" said the lawyer, coming hastily up to him, "there
can surely be no occasion for such--such--measures!"

Catching sight of Malcolm's wounded forehead, however, he supplemented
the remark with a low exclamation of astonishment and dismay--the tone
saying almost as clearly as words, "How ill and foolishly everything is
managed without a lawyer!" Malcolm only smiled, and went up to the
magistrate, whom he led into the middle of the room, saying, "Mr.
Morrison, every one here knows you: tell them who I am."

"The marquis of Lossie, my lord," answered Mr. Morrison; "and from my
heart I congratulate your people that at length you assume the rights
and honors of your position."

A murmur of pleasure arose in response. Ere it ceased Malcolm started
and sprung to the door. There stood Lenorme! He seized him by the arm,
and without a word of explanation hurried him to the room where his
sister was. He called Clementina, half drew her from the room, pushed
Lenorme in, and closed the door.

"Will you meet me on the sandhill at sunset, my lady?" he said.

She smiled assent. He gave her the key of the tunnel, hinted that she
might leave the two to themselves for a while, and returned to his
friends in the drawing-room.

Having begged them to excuse him for a little while, and desired Mrs.
Courthope to serve luncheon for them, he ran to his grandfather,
dreading lest any other tongue than his own should yield him the opened
secret. He was but just in time, for already the town was in a tumult,
and the sprea