had it not been necessary to account to him for the
disappearance of so many articles of property, even that event would not
have been told him. Of all others, he was allowed to remain perfectly
ignorant.

Thus, strange as it may appear, he heard nothing of the circumstances of
the visit of the "Saint Cecilia," of Hilda's marriage with Don Hernan,
or of the birth of her child. All he heard was, that a foreign
ship-of-war had anchored in the Sound, and that, shortly after, she had
been wrecked on the west coast of the mainland; so sure are those who
attempt to rule their dependents with severity or injustice, to be
deceived or misled by them.

Humbled, softened, and weighed down with grief, Hilda could not long
keep her secret from her sister; and Edda heard, with amazement and
sorrow, all the strange events which had occurred at Lunnasting during
her absence. Once having broken through the ice of reserve which had so
long existed, the two sisters were on far more affectionate terms than
they had ever before been.

Edda did not utter a word of blame. She well knew how little trained
Hilda had ever been to bear it, but she gave her sympathy, and treated
her with all the tenderness and affection of a loving sister.

Meantime, Sir Marcus Wardhill, who was not a man to suffer an injury
without attempting to obtain redress, was sending memorial after
memorial to the government in England, to complain of the attack made on
his castle, and was also instituting every inquiry to ascertain to what
nation the people belonged who had been guilty of the act. All he could
learn with regard to the latter point was, that on the day following
that on which it occurred, a pilot boat and several fishing vessels had
fallen in with a large schooner of a very rakish appearance, under
French colours, steering a course apparently with the intention of
running between Shetland and Orkney, into the Atlantic.

In the course, however, of his inquiries, information which he little
expected came out, and which could not fail to raise his suspicions as
to his daughter's discretion. He was, as has been seen, a man wise in
the ways of the world, and not at all liable to give way to sudden
bursts of temper, great as might be the provocation. Instead,
therefore, of rushing into his daughter's room, and accusing her of her
misconduct, he kept his counsel, and said nothing whatever on the
subject. It might have occurred to him that he should ha