“Well, Mary, I declare I’m perfectly confounded with all you have been telling me!  I’m sure I never heard the like of it!  It seems but the t’other day since you began your sampler; and it looks just like yesterday since your father and mother were married.  And such a work as there was at your nursing!  I’m sure your poor grandfather was out of all patience about it.  And now to think that you are going to be married! not but what it’s a thing we all expected, for there’s no doubt England’s the place for young women to get husbands—­we always said that, you know; not but what I dare say you might have been married, too, if you had stayed in the Highlands, and to a real Highlander, too, which, of course, would have been still better for us all; for it will be a sad thing if you are obliged to stay in England, Mary; but I hope there’s no chance of that:  you know Colonel Lennox can easily sell his place, and buy an estate in the Highlands.  There’s a charming property, I know, to be sold just now, that marches with Glenfern.  To be sure it’s on the wrong side of the hill—­there’s no denying that; but then, there’s I can’t tell you how many thousand acres of fine muir for shooting, and I daresay Colonel Lennox is a keen sportsman; and they say a great deal of it might be very much improved.  We must really inquire after it, Mary, and you must speak to Colonel Lennox about it, for you know such a property as that may be snapped up in a minute.”

Mary assented to all that was said; and Grizzy proceeded—­

“I wonder you never brought Colonel Lennox to see us, Mary.  I’m sure he must think it very odd.  To be sure, Sir Sampson’s situation is some excuse; but at any rate I wonder you never spoke about him.  We all found out your Aunt Bella’s attachment from the very first, just from her constantly speaking about Major M’Tavish and the militia; and we had a good guess of Betsy’s too, from the day her face turned so red after giving Captain M’Nab for her toast; but you have really kept yours very close, for I declare I never once suspected such a thing.  I wonder if that was Colonel Lennox that I saw you part with at the door one day—­tall, and with brown hair, and a bluecoat.  I asked Lady Maclaughlan if she knew who it was, and she said it was Admiral Benbow; but I think she must have been mistaken, for I daresay now it was just Colonel Lennox.  Lennox—­I’m sure I should be able to remember something about somebody of that name; but my memory’s not so good as it used to be, for I have so many things, you know, to think about, with Sir Sampson, that I declare sometimes my head’s quite confused; yet I think always there’s something about them.  I wish to goodness Lady Maclaughlan was come from the dentist’s, that I might consult her about it; for of course, you’ll do nothing without consulting all your friends—­I know you’ve too much sense for that.  An here’s Sir Sampson coming; it will be a fine piece of news to tell him.”