looking the true Scots lassie
she undoubtedly was. "And sich a nice gentleman, tu--that Captain
Macdonald. Reel gentry, Mr. Deland, sair. I've often thocht what a peety
it was tu see 'em pulled apart like thaat. Ye'll be wanting some hot
water, sair, I ken."

"Thanks. I'd like some, certainly. And my man----"

"He's made himself at home already," she responded, beaming at him. "And
he's in my keetchen th' noo, eatin' an airly lunch. He towld me ye'd
come fer the fishin', sair. We've a-mony come fer that to these parrts.
That'll be all, I tak' it?"

"That'll be all."

At which the good woman withdrew her tongue and herself, and left Cleek
a trifle dazed by the positive fount of garrulity at which he had been
drinking this past half-hour, and a good deal interested in the
Castle-folk to boot.

He walked to the window and stood looking out of it at the magnificence
of Aygon Castle that rose like some dream-palace before his admiring
eyes. And as he looked he counted the windows across that part of the
building which faced upon the village.

The fourth from the left. Well, she'd possibly never need to signal, and
yet--one never knew. And there was a ghost, too, and a horny-fisted and
hard-hearted landlord, just as the penny novelettes would have had it.
Quite interesting; quite. But the arrival of hot water set every other
thought but that of cleanliness out of his head, and he gave himself up
to his ablutions like a schoolboy on holiday.

CHAPTER IV

THE MORNING CALL

No red light showed itself at Miss Duggan's window that night--though
Cleek sat up until the soft fingers of the dawn were wreathing the sky
with lavender veils and the face of the morning peeped through, like
some goddess stepped down from Olympus to smile upon her lesser fellows.
And it was then, and then only, that he sought his bed and the comfort
of cool sheets at last.

Dollops, knowing his plan, did not disturb him. And so it came about
that the clock upon the mantel had chimed out ten before he opened an
eye and looked about him, sleep still dimming his vision and making the
unfamiliar room doubly strange.

"What the--how the--Gad! if it isn't ten o'clock, and I've been sleeping
like a noodle ever since dawn," he said, springing out of bed and
donning dressing-gown and slippers to have a first glimpse out of the
window at that "fairy sight" which Mr. Fairnish had promised him with
his cup of tea. "Well, she _is_ a beauty and no