round back to the
boat. He was very civil, brought with him a girl, the handiest and
comeliest he said, that he could engage among Macdonald's people, to
wait upon Lady Carse; gave order for the immediate erection of a sort of
outhouse for her stores, and desired her to say if there was anything
else she was pressingly in want of. She would not say a word to him of
one kind or another, but turned him over to the minister. But the
minister could not carry his own points. He could not induce the
steward to convey a single letter of the several written that day. The
steward was sorry: had hoped it was understood that no letter was to
leave the island,--no written paper of any kind,--while Lady Carse
resided there. He would not take these to Sir Alexander: he would not
ask him to yield this point even to the minister. Sir Alexander's
orders were positive; and it was clear that in these parts that settled
the question.

While the argument was going on, Lady Carse rose from her seat, and
passed behind the steward, to leave the room. She caught up the letters
unperceived, and unperceived slipped them into the steward's pocket: so
that while he bowed himself out, declining to touch the letters, he was
actually carrying them with him.

Helsa, Lady Carse's new maid, witnessed this prank; and, not daring to
laugh at the moment, made up for this by telling the story to her
acquaintance, the widow, when sent for the children at night.

"That will never do," Annie declared. "Harm may come of it, but no
good."

And this set her thinking.

The consequence of her meditation was that she roused the family from
their beds when even Lady Carse had been an hour asleep. When Mr
Ruthven found that there was neither fire nor illness in the case, he
declared to Annie his disapprobation of untimely hours; and said that if
those who had a lamp to keep burning became in time forgetful of the
difference between night and day, they should remember that it was not
so with others; and that the afflicted especially, who had griefs and
agitations during the day, should be permitted to enjoy undisturbed such
rest as might be mercifully sent them.

Annie listened respectfully to all this, and acknowledged the truth of
it. It was, however, a hope that Lady Carse might possibly sleep
hereafter under the same roof with her children, if this night were not
lost, which made her take the liberty of rousing the minister at such an
hour.

She