an?"

I managed to murmur: "I'm sure I don't know, Aunt Janet. I suppose it
was all a dream!"

"A dream it was, my dear. A dream or a veesion, whilka matters nane, for
a' such are warnin's sent frae God . . . " Suddenly she said in a
different voice:

"Laddie, hae ye been fause to any lassie? I'm no blamin' ye. For ye men
are different frae us women, an' yer regard on recht and wrang differs
from oors. But oh, laddie, a woman's tears fa' heavy when her hairt is
for sair wi' the yieldin' to fause words. 'Tis a heavy burden for ony
man to carry wi' him as he goes, an' may well cause pain to ithers that
he fain would spare." She stopped, and in dead silence waited for me to
speak. I thought it would be best to set her poor loving heart at rest,
and as I could not divulge my special secret, spoke in general terms:

"Aunt Janet, I am a man, and have led a man's life, such as it is. But I
can tell you, who have always loved me and taught me to be true, that in
all the world there is no woman who must weep for any falsity of mine.
If close there be any who, sleeping or waking, in dreams or visions or in
reality, weeps because of me, it is surely not for my doing, but because
of something outside me. It may be that her heart is sore because I must
suffer, as all men must in some degree; but she does not weep for or
through any act of mine."

She sighed happily at my assurance, and looked up through her tears, for
she was much moved; and after tenderly kissing my forehead and blessing
me, stole away. She was more sweet and tender than I have words to say,
and the only regret that I have in all that is gone is that I have not
been able to bring my wife to her, and let her share in the love she has
for me. But that, too, will come, please God!

In the morning I sent a message to Rooke at Otranto, instructing him by
code to bring the yacht to Vissarion in the coming night.

All day I spent in going about amongst the mountaineers, drilling them
and looking after their arms. I _could_ not stay still. My only chance
of peace was to work, my only chance of sleep to tire myself out.
Unhappily, I am very strong, so even when I came home at dark I was quite
fresh. However, I found a cable message from Rooke that the yacht would
arrive at midnight.

There was no need to summon the mountaineers, as the men in the Castle
would be sufficient to make preparations for the yacht's coming.