and in the more important matters
which she unhappily was unable to teach him. Bertha Eswick had afforded
him instruction. But Ronald had another instructor, though an eccentric
one, in Lawrence Brindister. Not a more daring or expert boatman, a
finer swimmer, or a better shot of his age, or much above his age, was
to be found in all Shetland.

Poor Hilda had never heard from Pedro Alvarez, nor had she received
tidings of her son, though, hopeless as it might seem, she lived on in
the expectation of one day recovering him. Both she and Bertha had so
earnestly entreated Rolf to leave Ronald in Shetland, that he would have
done so, had he not received a warning, not to be neglected, from
Lawrence Brindister, to be off and to take his boy with him.

He had often suspected that Sir Marcus Wardhill was his enemy, and now
he learned from Lawrence, that he was the enemy of his son also, and
would work him ill if he had him in his power.

"Then I will take him out of his power," observed Rolf; and before the
next morning he was away to Lerwick. Sir Marcus sent a fast rowing boat
after him, but when she reached the capital of Shetland, Rolf and his
son had already taken their departure. Sir Marcus Wardhill was reaping
where he had sown.

From his younger and best-loved daughter he had long been almost totally
estranged. Colonel Armytage had for years held no direct communication
with him, while Edda's letters were very brief, and she, having become
the mother of a daughter, offered this as an excuse for not paying a
visit to the north.

It was not till now that Hilda revealed to him the whole history of her
marriage and the loss of her boy. His rage knew no bounds when he
discovered that no certificate of this marriage was forthcoming. But
one witness, who was forthcoming, survived--Bertha Eswick: she, however,
had been in a declining state for some time, and but a few days had
passed after Rolf and Ronald had quitted Lunnasting before she expired,
leaving Hilda more solitary and miserable than ever.

Ronald Morton had commenced his life at sea with the greatest zest, and
although he had a few difficulties to contend with, and not a few older
boys to fight, he invariably came off victorious, and was altogether a
general favourite. Rolf devotedly loved his son, and though not
ambitious for himself, his great desire was to see Ronald on the
quarter-deck, and rising in his profession: he certainly looked as if it
w