brance of small
incidents relating to the lady's family and acquaintance, anyone would
have supposed that he had not a care in the world. For the hour, Lady
Carse almost felt as if she had none. She declared herself getting
quite well; and she did strive, by a self-command and prudence such as
astonished even Annie, to gain such ground as should enable her to leave
the island when the President did--that is, as she and others supposed,
when the spring should favour the sending an English army to contest the
empire once more with the still successful Pretender.

But, in four days, there was a sudden break up. A faithful boatman of
Sir Alexander's came over from Skye to give warning of danger. There
were no three men in Scotland so hated by the rebels as the three
gentlemen now on the island; and no expense or pains were to be spared
in capturing them. They must not remain, from any mere hope of secrecy,
in a place which contained only women and children. They must go where
they could not only hide, but be guarded by fighting men. It was
decided to be off that very moment. The President desired one
half-hour, that he might see Lady Carse, and assure her of his care and
protection, and of relief, as soon as he could command the means. He
entered as deliberately as usual, and merely looked at his watch and
said that he had ten minutes, and no more.

"You must not go," said she. "We cannot spare you. Oh, you need not
fear any danger! We have admirable hiding-places in our rock, where, to
my knowledge, you can have good fires, and a soft bed of warm sand. You
are better here. You must not go."

Of course the President said he must, and civilly stopped the
remonstrance. Then she declared, with a forced quietness, "If you will
go, I must go with you. Do not say a word against it. I have your
promise, and I will hold you to it. Oh, yes, I am fit to go--fitter
than to stay. If I stay, I shall die this night. If I go, I shall live
to keep a certain promise of mine--to go and see my Lord Lovat's head
fall. I will not detain you; we have five minutes of your ten yet I
will be across the threshold before your ten minutes are up. Helsa!
Helsa, come with me."

"What is to be done?" asked the President of Annie. "You know her best.
What if I compel her to stay? Would there be danger?"

"I think she would probably die to-night, as she says. If she could
convince herself of her weakness, that would be best.