“I must be going,” she exclaimed; “it’s almost one o’clock.”
She had only just left the room when there came a knock at the door. “Come in!” called out Miss Cheale, and Lucy Warren appeared.
“You said you wanted to see me before lunch, miss.”
Though the girl was making a great effort to seem calm, her lips were trembling and her eyes were swollen with crying.
CHAPTER III
Late that same evening, Dr. Maclean, his wife, and their adopted daughter, were all sitting together in the dining room of Bonnie Doon.
The Macleans had bought the charming old house soon after the doctor had taken over the practice of Miss Prince’s father, and they had renamed it after Mrs. Maclean’s birthplace.
To-night, his wife and niece being by the table, the doctor sat close to the fire smoking his pipe.
“Dr. Tasker popped in to tea to-day,” observed Mrs. Maclean. As her husband said nothing she went on: “He waited quite a long while in the hope of seeing you. I’m doubting, Jock, whether we’ve been quite fair to that young man. He spoke very handsomely of you—he did indeed.”
“I’ve no need of his praise,” said the doctor dryly.