And in a few minutes’ time the well-known knock was heard, and Ermine, with a look half arch half gay, surprised her sister by rising with the aid of the arm of her chair, and adjusting a crutch that had been leaning against it.

“Why Ermine! you could not bear the jarring of that crutch—­”

“Five or six years ago, Ailie, when I was a much poorer creature,” then as the door opened, “I would make you a curtsey, Colonel Keith, but I am afraid I can’t quite do that,” though still she moved nearer to meet him, but perhaps there was a look of helplessness which made her exultation piteous, for he responded with an exclamation of alarm, put out his arm to support her, and did not relax a frown of anxiety till he had placed her safe in her chair again, while she laughed perhaps a little less freely, and said, “See what it is to have had to shift for oneself!”

“You met me with your eyes the first time, Ermine, and I never missed anything.”

“Well, I think it is hard not to have been more congratulated on my great achievement!  I thought I should have had at least as much credit as Widdrington, my favourite hero and model.”

“When you have an arm to support you it may be all very well, and I shall never stand it without.”  Then, as Ermine subsided, unprepared with a reply, “Well, Ailie, how are your boys?”

“Both much better, Francis nearly well.”

“You have had a terrible time!  And their mother?”

“Dearer and sweeter than ever,” said Alison, with her voice trembling; “no one who has not seen her now can guess half what she is!”

“I hope she has not missed me.  If this matter had not been so pressing, I could not have stayed away.”

“The one message she always gave me was, that you were not to think of coming home; and, indeed, those dear boys were so good, that we managed very well without you.”

“Yes, I had faith in your discipline, and I think that matters are in train against Edward comes.  Of course there is no letter, or you would have told me.”

“He will be coming himself,” said Ermine, resolved against again expressing a doubt; while Alison added that he hated letter-writing.

“Nothing could be more satisfactory than Beauchamp’s letter,” added Colin.  “He was so thoroughly convinced, that he immediately began to believe that he had trusted Edward all along, and had only been overruled.”

“I dare say,” said Ermine, laughing; “I can quite fancy honest Harry completely persuaded that he was Edward’s champion, while Maddox was turning him round his finger.”

“And such is his good faith, that I hope he will make Edward believe the same!  I told you of his sending his love to you, and of his hopes that you would some day come and see the old place.  He made his wife quite cordial.”

Alison did not feel herself obliged to accept the message, and Ermine could freely say, “Poor Harry!  I should like to see him again!  He would be exactly the same, I dare say.  And how does the old place look?”