wn her feelings of
disapproval for his sake. It was undeniable that Mary's money came in
most usefully in paying off the mortgages which had so long crippled the
Glenlivet estate; and when the bride and bridegroom arrived at their
Scotch home, the ladies were speechless in their admiration at the
bride's "providing." Such marvels of lace and brocades, such treasures
of jewellery, such a display of new fashions had never been known in the
neighbourhood before; and Isobel and Barbara, if not inclined to fall
rapturously in love with their new sister, at least utterly lost their
hearts over her wardrobe--not such a very extensive or extravagant one
after all, the bride had thought; but, in the eighteenth century, a
wealthy London trader's only child would be reared in a far more
luxurious manner than the daughters of many a "long descended" Scotch
household.

Mary, or Maisie, certainly found her new home lacking in many comforts
which were almost necessaries in her eyes; but the girl was young, and
sweet-tempered, and devotedly attached to her brave young husband, who
equally adored his young wife. The prejudice excited against the
new-comer on the score of her nationality and social rank softened down
as the months went by; although old Lady Glenlivet often remarked that
Maisie was "just English" whenever the younger lady's opinions or wishes
did not entirely coincide with her own.

In the kindly patriarchial fashion of Scottish households of the day,
Sir Alick's mother and sisters still resided under his roof; and Maisie,
gentle and retiring by nature, never dreamt of attempting to depose the
old lady from her position of house-mistress; so the "auld leddy" still
kept the keys, and ruled the servants, and was as busy and notable as of
yore; her new daughter being, in truth, often far more submissive to the
good dame's sway than were either Isobel or Barbara, who occasionally
"took the dorts" and would have their own wills.

Yet Maisie was happy enough in her new life--for had she not Alick and
his devotion?--until dark clouds began to gather in the political
horizon.

It was the year 1715, a year to be remembered in many an English and
Scottish household for many a year to come. Whispers of plots and
conspiracies were flying about the land; for the coming of the "wee
German lairdie" was by no means universally acceptable, and many
Jacobites who had acquiesced in the accession of "good Queen Anne"
herself (a member o