se, had an immense amount of work to get through. It was
at once settled that Stella should accompany him to Portsmouth, and
should take up her residence in the neighbourhood during his absence.
Bercaldine was to be let, and a tenant had to be found, arrangements
made with the factor and grieve, and other retainers; various articles
to be stored up, and others to be carried with them; the _Stella_ to be
laid up, and the horses to be sold.

A couple of days thus passed rapidly away, and, all working with a will,
the party were ready to start. The rays of the sun, just rising above
the lofty summits of the hills, glanced down the loch as they assembled
on the landing-place with their dependents, and every cotter on the
estate from far and near, who had come to bid them farewell. Many a
tear was shed by the females of the family, as Mrs Murray, the baby and
Polly, with the gentlemen of the party, embarked on board the _Stella_,
which was to convey them to Oban. The men waved their bonnets, and
uttered a prayer in Gaelic that the laird and his good wife and the
"bairn" might be brought back to them in safety.

Sail was made, and the little craft glided away from her moorings with a
fair breeze down the loch. Mrs Murray looked with fond regret at the
lovely home she was leaving, though no longer the home it had been to
her without her husband. The admiral, of course, did his best to keep
up her spirits, and whatever Alick might have felt, he was as cheerful
as if they were merely making a day's excursion. The scenery around the
home he loved so well looked even more attractive than ever. On the
port hand Ben Cruachan rose proudly amid the assemblage of craggy
heights which extended to the eastward along the shores of the loch.
The ruins of Ardchattan Priory, covered with luxuriant ivy, and
o'er-canopied by lofty trees, soon came in sight on the starboard side.

"The monks of old, wise in their generation, chose pleasant places for
their residences," observed the admiral, pointing to the ruins.

"They must have been of great benefit to the surrounding population in
those turbulent times," said Mrs Murray. "I have sometimes thought
that it would be well if they still existed in districts where no landed
proprietors live to look after the people."

"Very well in theory, my dear madam," said the admiral; "but we must
take into consideration what human nature really is. Monks in many
instances proved themselves to b