m's pulling the
widow's gown and asking in a whisper, "What is a Pretender?" and by
Annie's soft reply, "Hush, my dear!"

"Hush! do you say?" exclaimed Lady Carse, with a start. "What do you
mean by saying `hush'? Is the Pretender come? Answer me. Has the
Pretender landed in Scotland?"

"He has not landed, madam. He is in yonder vessel. You had a great
deliverance, madam, in not being taken away by his boat last night."

"Deliverance! There is no deliverance for me," said the lady. "Every
hope is dashed. There is no kindness in holding out new hopes to me.
My enemies will not let me stay here now my friends know where to find
me. I shall be carried to Saint Kilda, or some other horrible place;
or, if they have not time to take care of me while they are setting up
their new king, they will murder me. Oh, I shall never live to see
Edinburgh again: and my husband and Lovat will be lording it there, and
laughing at me and my vain struggles during all these years, while I lie
helpless in my grave, or tossing like a weed in these cruel seas. If
God will but grant my prayer, and let me haunt them! Stop, stop: do not
go away."

"I must, madam, if you talk so."

"Stop. I want to know about this Pretender. Why did you not tell us
sooner? Why not the moment you knew?"

"I considered it was the steward's business to tell what he thought
proper: but I have no objection to give all the particulars. I know he
whom they call Prince Charlie is in yonder vessel, which carries
eighteen guns. It cannot hold many soldiers; and Sir Alexander does not
believe that he will be joined by any from his islands. He is thought
to have a good many officers with him--"

"How many?"

"Some say twenty; some say forty. It is pretty sure that Glengarry will
join him--"

"Glengarry! Then all is lost."

"Sir Alexander thinks not. He and Macleod have written to the Lord
President, that not a man from these islands will join."

"They have written to Duncan Forbes! Now, if they were wise, they would
send me to him--You need not look so surprised. He is a friend of mine;
and glad enough he would be at this moment to know what I could tell him
of the Edinburgh Jacobites. Where is the Lord President at this time?"

"In the north, I think, preparing against the rising."

"Ay; at his own place near Inverness. If I could but get a letter to
him--Perhaps he knows already that I am not dead. If I could see Sir
Alexander! Oh