et. The old woman did not seek to detain her, but ejaculated
through her chattering teeth, as she peered out after her and wrung her
hands, "She will bring the Master back, if anything can; nought will
harm her. I, poor miserable wretch, would but clog her swiftness. Ay, he
will hearken to her voice; he has been waiting for the sound weeks and
months. Who would have said that Master Hector, like Samson, would twice
be given a prey to a woman! He will hear her above the winds and waves;
body or soul, he will obey her, as he did Alice Boswell twenty years ago
in fire and ruin."

Leslie hurried on in the darkness, her little feet tripping, her slight
form borne back by the blast. Not thus had she wandered on those sunny,
summer days when she first knew Otter; but there was that within, in the
midst of her distress, that she would not have resigned for that light
life twice over.

She reached the beach; the roar of the surf and the shriek of the wind
were in her ears, but no human presence was visible. There flashed back
upon her the vision of her hopelessness and helplessness on such another
blustering, raging night--but the recollection brought no comfort. She
paused in dismay, with nothing but the mist and the driving rain before
her. Stay! obscurely, and at intervals, she caught sight of a light, now
borne on the crest of these giant waves, now sunk and lost. Hark! a
pistol-shot! that must be Boswell's appeal for aid; and yonder lay
Earlscraig--yonder also was Hector toiling to rescue his ancient friend
and persistent foe. She should be there too. At Earlscraig their destiny
would be wrought out.

Leslie sped along in the tumult of earth and sky; the road was more than
a mile, and at such a season and in such weather very toilsome and
dangerous--but what deeds have not tender women achieved, strung by
love, or hate!

When Leslie gained the promontory, she found the old house deserted--the
few servants were on the shore, aiding or watching Hector Garret and his
men in their efforts to save the last of his line, cast away within the
shadow of his own rocks and towers.

Leslie shrank from descending among the spectators; she remained spent
and breathless, but resolute still, where she could spy the first
wayfarer, hear the first shout of triumph, and steal away in the
darkness, fleeing home unmarked and undetained.

It was the first occasion on which she had been close to Earlscraig. The
situation, at all times expo