“You should have asked the captain to come in and take breakfast with us, Sandy,” she said.
“I urged the hospitalities o’ the hoose upon him, Miss Mirry,” was the reply, “but he was no to be persuaded. However, he said something aboot givin’ you a call in the course o’ the mornin’.”
Ronald joined them at that moment with a bright “Good-morning, Mirry. Who’s that intends to call on us to-day?”
“The captain wants to see your sister, sir,” said McAllister; but Miriam had slipped away, hiding the note in the bosom of her dress as she went.
“He does!” exclaimed Ronald, with laughing eyes. “Well, I for one shall make him welcome to see her—in my presence or alone.”
Sandy did not mention the note, shrewdly guessing that silence upon that matter would be more pleasing to Miriam.
She seemed slightly abstracted during breakfast, and took an early opportunity after leaving the table to steal away by herself to learn in solitude what Warren had to say to her.
Her heart fluttered and the rose on her cheek deepened as she broke the seal and glanced at the contents of his note; then with an exclamation of astonishment she hurried to the dining-room, where she had left her grandmother and Ronald consulting together about some work to be done in the garden.
“Why, Mirry, what now? What has happened that you look so excited?” asked her brother, as she came in with the note open in her hand.
“Something so wonderful that I can hardly believe it,” she answered, dropping into a chair, her eyes shining, her breath coming half pantingly. “I—I’ve had a small fortune left me!”