d the child.
Only come back, and all will be well.

"HUGH."

"And Hugh is the baby's name. Ay, my lady, I think I have the grip of
you at last," muttered Fergus, as he drew the inkstand nearer to him.

The next morning, Messrs. Green and Richardson received a letter
marked "private," in which the writer begged to be furnished without
delay with full particulars of the appearance of the missing Lady
Redmond, and her age and the age of the child; and the letter was
signed, "Fergus Duncan, the Manse, Rowan-Glen."

CHAPTER XLI.

UNDER THE ROWANS.

My wife, my life. O we will walk this world,
Yoked in all exercise of noble end,
And so thro' those dark gates across the wild
That no man knows. Indeed I love thee: come,

* * * * *

Lay thy sweet hands in mine and trust to me.

TENNYSON'S _Princess_.

Fergus was not kept long in suspense; his letter was answered by
return of post. Messrs. Green and Richardson had been evidently struck
with the concise, businesslike note they had received, and they took
great pains in furnishing him with full particulars, and begged that,
if he had any special intelligence to impart, he would write direct to
their client, Sir Hugh Redmond, Redmond Hall, Singleton.

After studying Messrs. Green and Richardson's letter with most careful
attention, Fergus came to the conclusion that it would be as well to
write to Sir Hugh Redmond. He was very careful to post this letter
himself, and, though he confided in no one, thinking a secret is
seldom safe with a woman, he could not hide from Lilian and Aunt
Jeanie that he was "a bit fashed" about something.

"For it is not like our Fergus," observed the old lady, tenderly, "to
be stalking about the rooms and passages like a sair-hearted ghost."

Sir Hugh was sitting over his solitary breakfast, with Pierre beside
him, when, in listlessly turning over his pile of letters, the Scotch
postmark on one arrested his attention, and he opened it with some
eagerness. It was headed, "The Manse, Rowan-Glen," and was evidently
written by a stranger; yes, he had never heard the name Fergus Duncan.

"DEAR SIR," it commenced, "two or three days ago I saw your
advertisement in the 'Standard,' and wrote at once to your
solicitors, Messrs. Green and Richardson, begging them to
furnish me with the nece