a
lovely May day, and she wore a dainty spring dress--a creamy silky
fabric--and a little brown velvet hat, which particularly suited her.
As she saw Fergus, she looked up and smiled, and then called Nero to
order as he scampered amongst the flower beds.

"Ay, my lady, I have my grip of you now," he observed, with a gleam in
his eyes, as he turned away.

About twenty minutes later he heard the click of the gate, and saw a
tall, fair-bearded man, in a tweed traveling suit, walking up the
steep little path, and casting anxious glances at the windows. Mrs.
Duncan saw him too.

"Ay, but he is a goodly man," she said, half aloud. "I like a man to
walk as though all the world belongs to him;" and for the first time a
doubt crossed her mind, whether Fay's childishness may not have been
to blame; for Hugh Redmond's handsome face and frank, careless manner
always found favor in women's eyes.

Fergus felt himself impressed by Sir Hugh's lordly bearing; he felt an
awkward, raw-boned Scotchman beside this grand-looking aristocratic
man. As he went out into the porch, Sir Hugh put out his hand, and
said, in a quick, agitated voice, "Mr. Duncan, you have made me your
debtor for life, but we will talk of that presently. Will you take me
to my wife, please?"

"Certainly, but Mrs. St. Clair--Lady Redmond, I mean--has gone down to
the Rowans--the falls over yonder; shall we walk there at once, or
will you come in and rest a little?" moved by the pale harassed look
of the face before him. "You have had a long journey, Sir Hugh, and
perhaps you would like to get rid of the dust."

"No, I can not rest until I have seen my wife; you will understand my
feelings, I am sure, Mr. Duncan;" and Fergus took down his hat from
the peg, and said gravely that he could well understand them. "It is
only a step," he continued, "and I will just walk with you to the gate.
The Rowans is Lady Redmond's favorite haunt; she thinks there is no
place to compare with the falls. You will find no difficulty if you
follow the little path"--but with that rare intuition that belongs to
a sympathetic character, Fergus said no more. He could see that Sir
Hugh was much agitated at the thought of the impending meeting; and
directly they reached the wicket-gate leading to the falls, he pointed
to the path, and retraced his steps to the Manse.

Hugh gave a sigh of relief as he found himself alone. His hand shook a
little as he unlatched the gate. As he passed the c