“And what should I have to do with them, pray, Lucy,” said her father, “or with their history or accomplishments?”

“Nay, I do not know, sir; only that you were asking questions of Norman about young Ravenswood.”

“Pshaw, child!” replied her father, yet immediately added:  “And who is Old Alice?  I think you know all the old women in the country.”

“To be sure I do, or how could I help the old creatures when they are in hard times?  And as to Old Alice, she is the very empress of old women and queen of gossips, so far as legendary lore is concerned.  She is blind, poor old soul, but when she speaks to you, you would think she has some way of looking into your very heart.  I am sure I often cover my face, or turn it away, for it seems as if she saw one change colour, though she has been blind these twenty years.  She is worth visiting, were it but to say you have seen a blind and paralytic old woman have so much acuteness of perception and dignity of manners.  I assure you, she might be a countess from her language and behaviour.  Come, you must go to see Alice; we are not a quarter of a mile from her cottage.”

“All this, my dear,” said the Lord Keeper, “is no answer to my question, who this woman is, and what is her connexion with the former proprietor’s family?”

“Oh, it was somethign of a nouriceship, I believe; and she remained here, because her two grandsons were engaged in your service.  But it was against her will, I fancy; for the poor old creature is always regretting the change of times and of property.”

“I am much obliged to her,” answered the Lord Keeper.  “She and her folk eat my bread and drink my cup, and are lamenting all the while that they are not still under a family which never could do good, either to themselves or any one else!”

“Indeed,” replied Lucy, “I am certain you do Old Alice injustice.  She has nothing mercenary about her, and would not accept a penny in charity, if it were to save her from being starved.  She is only talkative, like all old folk when you put them upon stories of their youth; and she speaks about the Ravenswood people, because she lived under them so many years.  But I am sure she is grateful to you, sir, for your protection, and that she would rather speak to you than to any other person in the whole world beside.  Do, sir, come and see Old Alice.”

And with the freedom of an indulged daughter she dragged the Lord Keeper in the direction she desired.

CHAPTER IV.

     Through tops of the high trees she did descry
     A little smoke, whose vapour, thin and light,
     Reeking aloft, uprolled to the sky,
     Which cheerful sign did send unto her sight,
     That in the same did wonne some living wight.

     Spenser.

Lucy acted as her father’s guide, for he was too much engrossed with his political labours, or with society, to be perfectly acquainted with his own extensive domains, and, moreover, was generally an inhabitant of the city of Edinburgh; and she, on the other hand, had, with her mother, resided the whole summer in Ravenswood, and, partly from taste, partly from want of any other amusement, had, by her frequent rambles, learned to know each lane, alley, dingle, or bushy dell,