said Frank. "Coosins!" said Andy Gowran, stepping
from behind the rock and showing his full figure. Andy was a man on
the wrong side of fifty, and therefore, on the score of age, hardly
fit for thrashing. And he was compact, short, broad, and as hard as
flint;--a man bad to thrash, look at it from what side you would.
"Coosins!" he said yet again. "Ye're mair couthie than coosinly, I'm
thinking."

"Andy Gowran, I dismiss you from my service for your impertinence,"
said Lady Eustace.

"It's ae ane to Andy Gowran for that, my leddie. There's timber and a
warld o' things aboot the place as wants proteection on behalf o' the
heir. If your leddieship is minded to be quit o' my sarvices, I'll
find a maister in Mr. Camperdoon, as'll nae alloo me to be thrown out
o' employ. Coosins!"

"Walk off from this!" said Frank Greystock, coming forward and
putting his hand upon the man's breast. Mr. Gowran repeated the
objectionable word yet once again, and then retired.

Frank Greystock immediately felt how very bad for him was his
position. For the lady, if only she could succeed in her object, the
annoyance of the interruption would not matter much after its first
absurdity had been endured. When she had become the wife of Frank
Greystock there would be nothing remarkable in the fact that she had
been found sitting with him in a cavern by the sea-shore. But for
Frank the difficulty of extricating himself from his dilemma was
great, not in regard to Mr. Gowran, but in reference to his cousin
Lizzie. He might, it was true, tell her that he was engaged to Lucy
Morris;--but then why had he not told her so before? He had not told
her so;--nor did he tell her on this occasion. When he attempted to
lead her away up the cliff, she insisted on being left where she was.
"I can find my way alone," she said, endeavouring to smile through
her tears. "The man has annoyed me by his impudence,--that is all.
Go,--if you are going."

Of course he was going; but he could not go without a word of
tenderness. "Dear, dear Lizzie," he said, embracing her.

"Frank, you'll be true to me?"

"I will be true to you."

"Then go now," she said. And he went his way up the cliff, and got
his pony, and rode back to the cottage, very uneasy in his mind.

CHAPTER XXVII

Lucy Morris Misbehaves

Lucy Morris got her letter and was contented. She wanted some
demonstration of love from her lover, but very little sufficed for
her comfort. With her it