difficulty of the
kind, thanked him for his offer, and so took his leave.

It was some weeks before the Antiquary again saw Lovel. To the great
astonishment of the town the young man hardly went out at all, and when
he called upon him in his lodgings at Fairport, Mr. Oldbuck was
astonished at the change in his appearance. Lovel was now pale and thin,
and his black dress bore the badge of mourning. The Antiquary's gruff
old heart was moved toward the lad. He would have had him come instantly
with him to Monkbarns, telling him that, as they agreed well together,
there was no reason why they should ever separate. His lands were in his
own power of gift, and there was no reason why he should not leave them
to whom he would.

Lovel, touched also by this unexpected affection, answered that he could
not at present accept, but that before leaving Scotland he would
certainly pay Monkbarns a long visit.

While the Antiquary remained talking thus to Lovel in his lodgings, a
letter was brought from Sir Arthur Wardour inviting the young man to be
a member of a party which proposed to visit the ruins of St. Ruth's
Priory on the following day, and afterward to dine and spend the
evening at Knockwinnock Castle. Sir Arthur added that he had made the
same proposal to the family at Monkbarns. So it was agreed that they
should go together, Lovel on horseback, and Oldbuck and his womenkind
(as he called them) in a hired post-chaise.

The morning of the next day dawned clear and beautiful, putting Lovel in
better spirits than he had known of late. With the Wardour party there
came the German adept, Mr. Dousterswivel, to whom, after offering his
thanks to his preserver of the night of storm, Sir Arthur introduced
Lovel. The young man's instinctive dislike at sight of the impostor was
evidently shared in by the Antiquary, for the lowering of his shaggy
eyebrow clearly proclaimed as much.

Nevertheless, the first part of the day went well on the whole. Oldbuck
took upon himself the office of guide, explaining and translating all
the while, leading the company from point to point till they were almost
as much at home as himself among the ruins of the Priory of St. Ruth.

But the peaceful occupations of the day were interrupted by the arrival
of a young horseman in military undress, whom the Antiquary greeted with
the words, "Hector, son of Priam, whence comest thou?"

"From Fife, my liege," answered Captain Hector MacIntyre, Mr. Oldbuck'