seen the inside of it." This was said by
old Davie Cheyne to Nanny Clousta, about two weeks after Hilda and her
husband had taken up their abode at the castle. "What Sir Marcus will
say about the matter, it makes me tremble to think of. It's my belief
he'll be inclined to pull the house down about our ears, or to send us
and it flying up into the sky together. I wad ha' thought she might ha'
found a young Mouat, or a Gifford, or a Bruce, or Nicolson. There are
mony likely lads among them far better than this captain, now; I can no
like him better than does Mr Lawrence, and that's a sma' portion
indeed."

"You're too hard, Mr Cheyne, on our new master," answered Nanny; "if ye
had seen the gold piece he gave me the day we came back to the castle,
and the beautiful silver one which he put into my hand only yesterday,
with the two pillars on it, you wad no say a' that against him. No, no,
Mr Cheyne, he's a fine gentleman, and a right fit husband for our young
mistress."

For more than a fortnight Don Hernan had not set his foot on board the
"Saint Cecilia." Both officers and crew had, however, begun to complain
at being left so long in so uninteresting a spot in perfect inactivity;
Don Hernan accordingly ordered the ship back to Brassay Sound under
charge of Pedro Alvarez.

Strange as it may seem, the news of Don Hernan's marriage with Miss
Wardhill had not yet reached Lerwick. There was at no time any very
regular intercourse kept up between the islands, and that which was
usual had been interrupted by the bad weather.

Rolf Morton, like a wise man, resolved to keep his knowledge of the
matter to himself, and to say nothing, while Father Mendez, the only
person belonging to the ship who, from being able to speak English,
could have communicated it, was not likely to say a word about the
matter, unless he had some object in doing so. Bailie Sanderson of
Lerwick was a staunch Presbyterian, and a warm hater of Episcopacy and
Popery; and it was a sore struggle in his mind how far he was justified
in having any dealings with the only representative of the latter power,
who had for many a long year ventured to set foot on the soil of
Shetland; in vain he tried to make the purser understand him. Stores
for the ship of all sorts were wanted, but no arrangements could be
made, and at length Father Mendez was called to their councils. The
bailie believed himself so fully guarded against any of the doctrines
held by