“Ay, and where does the queen live, Miss Sheila?” said Mairi.  She had been looking at the furniture in Sheila’s house, and wondering if the queen lived in a place still more beautiful than this.

“A long way from here.”

“And it iss no wonder,” said Mairi, “she will neffer hef been in sa Lewis.  I wass neffer thinking the world wass so big, and it wass many a time since me and Mr. M’Alpine hef come away from Styornoway I wass thinking it wass too far for me effer to get back again.  But it is many a one will say to me, before I hef left the Lewis, that I wass not to come home unless you wass coming too, and I wass to bring you back with me, Miss Sheila.  And where is Bras, Miss Sheila?”

“You will see him by and by.  He is out in the garden now.”  She said “gyarden” without knowing it.

“And will he understood the Gaelic yet?”

“Oh yes,” Sheila said.  “And he is sure to remember you.”

There was no mistake about that.  When Mairi went into the back garden the demonstrations of delight on the part of the great deerhound were as pronounced as his dignity and gravity would allow.  And Mairi fairly fell upon his neck and kissed him, and addressed to him a hundred endearing phrases in Gaelic, every word of which it was quite obvious that the dog understood.  London was already beginning to be less terrible to her.  She had met and talked with Sheila.  Here was Bras.  A portrait of the King of Borva was hung up inside, and all round the rooms were articles which she had known in the North, before Sheila had married and brought them away into this strange land.

“You have never asked after my husband, Mairi,” said Sheila, thinking she would confuse the girl.

But Mairi was not confused.  Probably she had been fancying that Mr. Lavender was down at the shore, or had gone out fishing, or something of that sort, and would return soon enough.  It was Sheila, not he, whom she was concerned about.  Indeed, Mairi had caught up a little of that jealousy of Lavender which was rife among the Borva folks.  They would speak no ill of Mr. Lavender.  The young gentleman whom Miss Sheila had chosen had by that very fact a claim upon their respect.  Mr. Mackenzie’s son-in-law was a person of importance.  And yet in their secret hearts they bore a grudge against him.  What right had he to come away up to the North and carry off the very pride of the island?  Were English girls not good enough for him, that he must needs come up and take away Sheila Mackenzie, and keep her there in the South so that her friends and acquaintances saw no more of her?  Before the marriage Mairi had a great liking and admiration for Mr. Lavender.  She was so pleased to see Miss Sheila pleased that she approved of the young man, and thanked him in her heart for making her cousin and mistress so obviously happy.  Perhaps, indeed, Mairi managed to fall in love with him a little bit herself, merely by force of example and through sympathy