"People go away most strangelike," observed Mrs. M'Diarmid from the far distance. "The facilities of the road, the river, and the rail, as I've seen it somewhere expressed, is such, that one's here to-day, Lord bless you, and next week in the Sydney Isles or thereabouts." By "the Sydney Isles or thereabouts."
Mrs. M'Diarmid's friends had by long experience ascertained that she meant Australia.
"Scarcely so far as that in so short a time, Aunt Hannah," said Madeleine with a smile.
"Well, my dear, far enough to fare worse, as the expression is. I don't hold with such wanderings, thinking home to be home, be it ever so homely."
"You would not like to go far away yourself, would you, Mrs. M'Diarmid?" asked Lord Roderick.
"Not I, my lord; Regent-street for me is quite very, and beyond that I have no inspiration."
"You've never been able to get Mrs. M'Diarmid even so far as Kilsyth, have you, Lady Muriel?" said Clement.
"No; she has always refused to come to us. I think she imagines we're utter barbarians at Kilsyth."
"Not at all, my dear, not at all," said the old lady; "but everybody has their fancies, and knows what they can do, and where they're useful; and fancy me at my time of life tossing my cabers, or doing my Tullochgorums, or whatever they're called, between two crossed swords on the top of a mountain! Scarcely respectable, I think."
"You're quite right, Mrs. Mac, and I honour your sentiments," said Clem with a half-grin.