it is more cheerful at night."

And when they reached the small drawing-room he was anxious to draw her
attention away from the antiquated furniture and the nondescript
decoration by taking her to the window and showing her the great breadth
of the summer sea, with the far islands, and the brown-sailed boat of
the Gometra men coming back from Staffa. But presently in came Janet,
and would take the fair stranger away to her room; and was as attentive
to her as if the one were a great princess, and the other a meek
serving-woman. And by and by Macleod, having seen his other guest
provided for, went into the library and shut himself in, and sat down,
in a sort of stupor. He could almost have imagined that the whole
business of the morning was a dream; so strange did it seem to him that
Gertrude White should be living and breathing under the same roof with
himself.

Nature herself seemed to have conspired with Macleod to welcome and
charm this fair guest. He had often spoken to her of the sunsets that
shone over the Western seas; and he had wondered whether, during her
stay in the North, she would see some strange sight that would remain
forever a blaze of color in her memory. And now on this very first
evening there was a spectacle seen from the high windows of Dare that
filled her with astonishment, and caused her to send quickly for her
father, who was burrowing among the old armor. The sun had just gone
down. The western sky was of the color of a soda-water bottle become
glorified; and in this vast breadth of shining clear green lay one long
island of cloud--a pure scarlet. Then the sky overhead and the sea far
below them were both of a soft roseate purple; and Fladda and Staffa and
Lunga, out at the horizon, were almost black against that flood of green
light. When he asked her if she had brought her water-colors with her,
smiled. She was not likely to attempt to put anything like that down on
paper.

Then they adjourned to the big hall, which was now lit up with candles;
and Major Stuart had remained to dinner: and the gallant soldier, glad
to have a merry evening away from his sighing wife, did his best to
promote the cheerfulness of the party. Moreover, Miss White had got rid
of her headache, and showed a greater brightness of face; so that both
the old lady at the head of the table and her niece Janet had to confess
to themselves that this English girl who was like to tear Keith Macleod
away from them was very