“Mother, you are really ill.  You should not have come down.”

She could not bear the crowd and buzz of voices and all the anxious eyes any longer.  She pushed back her chair, and as sons came hurrying round with offered arms, she took the nearest, which was Jock’s, let him take her to the morning-room, and there assured him she was not ill, only she had had a letter.  She wanted nothing, only that he should go back, and send her Janet.  She tried once more to master the contents of Miss Ray’s letter, but she was too dizzy; and when Janet came in, she could only hold it out to her.

“Oh!” said Janet, “poor old Maria has forestalled me.  Yes, mother, it is what I meant to tell you, only I thought you could not bear a fresh shock last night.”

“Married!  Oh, Janet; why thus?”

“Because we wished to avoid the gossip and conventionality.  My uncle and aunt were to be avoided.”

“Let me hear at once who it is,” said Caroline, with the sharpness of misery.

“It is Professor Demetrius Hermann, a most able lecturer, whose course we have been following.  I met him a year ago, at the table d’hote, at Zurich, where he delivered a series of lectures on physiology on a new and original system.  He is now going on with them in Scotland, where his wonderful acuteness and originality have produced an immense sensation, and I have no doubt that in his hands this discovery of my father’s will receive its full development.”

There was no apology in her tone; it was rather that of one who was defying censure; and her mother could only gasp out—-

“How long?”

“Three weeks.  When we heard you were returning, we thought it would save much trouble and difficulty to secure ourselves against contingencies, and profit by Scottish facilities.”  Wherewith Janet handed her mother a certificate of her marriage, at Glasgow, before Jane Ray and another witness, and taking her wedding-ring from her purse, put it on, adding, “When you see him, mother, you will be more than satisfied.”

“Where is he?” interrupted Caroline.

“At the Railway Hotel, waiting till you are prepared to see him.  He brought me down, but he is to give a lecture at Glasgow the day after tomorrow, so we can only remain one night.”

“Oh, Janet-—Janet, this is very fearful!”

At that moment, Johnny strolled up to the window from the outside, and, as he greeted Janet with some surprise, he observed—-

“There’s a most extraordinary looking foreign fellow loitering about out here.  I warned him he was on private ground, and he made me a bow, as if I, not he, were the trespasser.”

On this Janet darted out at the window without another word, and John exclaiming, in dismay—-

“Mother Carey! what is the matter?”

She gasped out, “Oh, Johnny! she’s married to him!  And the children don’t know it.  Send them in-—Allen and Bobus I mean-—make haste; I must prepare them.  Take that letter, and let the others know.”