She
shall know you came to her straight upon the news of her
imprisonment; she shall know you would not pause to eat; and of our
conversation she shall hear just so much as I think convenient for
a maid of her age and inexperience. Believe me, you will be in
that way much better served than you could serve yourself, for I
will keep the big feet out of the platter."
"You know where she is, then?" I exclaimed.
"That I do, Mr. David, and will never tell," said she.
"Why that?" I asked.
"Well," she said, "I am a good friend, as you will soon discover;
and the chief of those that I am friend to is my papa. I assure
you, you will never heat nor melt me out of that, so you may spare
me your sheep's eyes; and adieu to your David-Balfourship for the
now."
"But there is yet one thing more," I cried. "There is one thing
that must be stopped, being mere ruin to herself, and to me too."
"Well," she said, "be brief; I have spent half the day on you
already."
"My Lady Allardyce believes," I began--"she supposes--she thinks
that I abducted her."
The colour came into Miss Grant's face, so that at first I was
quite abashed to find her ear so delicate, till I bethought me she
was struggling rather with mirth, a notion in which I was
altogether confirmed by the shaking of her voice as she replied -
"I will take up the defence of your reputation," she said.
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