new hay
from the cart upon her, as if in a romp of childhood, the young maid
cried, 'Oh, Nita, Nita!' and fell upon her breast, and wept; and after
that looked round at us.

This being so, there could be no doubt as to the power of proving Lady
Lorna's birth, and rights, both by evidence and token. For though we had
not the necklace now--thanks to Annie's wisdom--we had the ring of heavy
gold, a very ancient relic, with which my maid (in her simple way) had
pledged herself to me. And Benita knew this ring as well as she knew her
own fingers, having heard a long history about it; and the effigy on it
of the wild cat was the bearing of the house of Lorne.

For though Lorna's father was a nobleman of high and goodly lineage, her
mother was of yet more ancient and renowned descent, being the last
in line direct from the great and kingly chiefs of Lorne. A wild and
headstrong race they were, and must have everything their own way. Hot
blood was ever among them, even of one household; and their sovereignty
(which more than once had defied the King of Scotland) waned and fell
among themselves, by continual quarrelling. And it was of a piece with
this, that the Doones (who were an offset, by the mother's side, holding
in co-partnership some large property, which had come by the spindle, as
we say) should fall out with the Earl of Lorne, the last but one of that
title.

The daughter of this nobleman had married Sir Ensor Doone; but this,
instead of healing matters, led to fiercer conflict. I never could quite
understand all the ins and outs of it; which none but a lawyer may go
through, and keep his head at the end of it. The motives of mankind are
plainer than the motions they produce. Especially when charity (such
as found among us) sits to judge the former, and is never weary of it;
while reason does not care to trace the latter complications, except for
fee or title.

Therefore it is enough to say, that knowing Lorna to be direct in
heirship to vast property, and bearing especial spite against the house
of which she was the last, the Doones had brought her up with full
intention of lawful marriage; and had carefully secluded her from the
wildest of their young gallants. Of course, if they had been next in
succession, the child would have gone down the waterfall, to save any
further trouble; but there was an intercepting branch of some honest
family; and they being outlaws, would have a poor chance (though the law
loves