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d。
〃Where did she go？〃 I asked them； turning my head from side to side。
They were looking at me strangely； and both of them were pale。 Jean was trembling a little。
〃Who was she； Ysobel？〃 she said。
〃The little girl the men brought to play with me；〃 I answered； still looking about me。
〃The big one on the black horse put her down the big one with the star here。〃 I touched my forehead where the queer scar had been。
For a minute Angus forgot himself。 Years later he told me。
〃Dark Malcolm of the Glen；〃 he broke out。 〃Wee Brown Elspeth。〃
〃But she is whitequite white！〃 I said。
〃Where did she go？〃
Jean swept me in her warm； shaking arms and hugged me close to her breast。
〃She's one of the fair ones；〃 she said； kissing and patting me。 〃She will come again。 She'll come often； I dare say。 But she's gone now and we must go； too。 Get up； Angus； man。 We're for the castle。〃
If we three had been differentif we had ever had the habit of talking and asking questions we might surely have asked one another questions as I rode on Sheltie's back； with Angus leading us。 But they asked me nothing； and I said very little except that I once spoke of the wild…looking horsemen and their pale； joyous faces。
〃They were glad；〃 was all I said。
There was also one brief query from Angus。
〃Did she talk to you； bairnie？〃 he said。
I hesitated and stared at him quite a long time。 Then I shook my head and answered； slowly； 〃N…no。〃
Because I realized then； for the first time； that we had said no words at all。 But I had known what she wanted me to understand； and she had known what I might have said to her if I had spokenand no words were needed。 And it was better。
They took me home to the castle； and I was given my supper and put to bed。 Jean sat by me until I fell asleep； she was obliged to sit rather a long time； because I was so happy with my memories of Wee Brown Elspeth and the certainty that she would come again。 It was not Jean's words which had made me sure。 I knew。
She came many times。 Through all my childish years I knew that she would come and play with me every few daysthough I never saw the wild troopers again or the big； lean man with the scar。 Children who play together are not very curious about one another； and I simply accepted her with delight。 Somehow I knew that she lived happily in a place not far away。 She could come and go； it seemed； without trouble。 Sometimes I found heror she found me upon the moor； and often she appeared in my nursery in the castle。 When we were together Jean Braidfute seemed to prefer that we should be alone； and was inclined to keep the under…nurse occupied in other parts of the wing I lived in。 I never asked her to do this； but I was glad that it was done。 Wee Elspeth was glad； too。 After our first meeting she was dressed in soft blue or white； and the red stain was gone； but she was always Wee Brown Elspeth with the doelike eyes and the fair； transparent face； the very fair little face。 As I had noticed the strange； clear pallor of the rough troopers； so I noticed that she was curiously fair。 And as I occasionally saw other persons with the same sort of fairness； I thought it was a purity of complexion special to some； but not to all。 I was not fair like that； and neither was any one else I knew。
CHAPTER III
It was when I was ten years old that Wee Elspeth ceased coming to me； and though I missed her at first； it was not with a sense of grief or final loss。 She had only gone somewhere。
It was then that Angus Macayre began to be my tutor。 He had been a profound student and had lived among books all his life。 He had helped Jean in her training of me； and I had learned more than is usually taught to children in their early years。 When a grand governess was sent to Muircarrie by my guardian； she was amazed at the things I was familiar with； but she abhorred the dark； frowning castle and the loneliness of the place and would not stay。 In fact； no governess would stay； and so Angus became my tutor and taught me old Gaelic and Latin and Greek； and we read together and studied the ancient books in the library。 It was a strange education for a girl； and no doubt made me more than ever unlike others。 But my life was the life I loved。
When my guardian decided that I must live with him in London and be educated as modern girls were； I tried to be obedient and went to him； but before two months had passed my wretchedness had made me so ill that the doctor said I should go into a decline and die if I were not sent back to Muircarrie。
〃It's not only the London air that seems to poison her；〃 he said when Jean talked to him about me； 〃it is something else。 She will not live； that's all。 Sir Ian must send her home。〃
As I have said before； I had been an unattractive child and I was a plain； uninteresting sort of girl。 I was shy and could not talk to people； so of course I bored them。 I knew I did not look well when I wore beautiful clothes。 I was little and unimportant and like a reed for thinness。 Because I was rich and a sort of chieftainess I ought to have been tall and rather stately； or at least I ought to have had a bearing which would have made it impossible for people to quite overlook me。 But； any one could overlook mean insignificant； thin girl who slipped in and out of places and sat and stared and listened to other people instead of saying things herself； I liked to look on and be forgotten。 It interested me to watch people if they did not notice me。
Of course； my relatives did not really like me。 How could they？ They were busy in their big world and did not know what to do with a girl who ought to have been important and was not。 I am sure that in secret they were relieved when I was sent back to Muircarrie。
After that the life I loved went on quietly。 I studied with Angus； and made the book… walled library my own room。 I walked and rode on the moor； and I knew the people who lived in the cottages and farms on the estate。 I think they liked me； but I am not sure； because I was too shy to seem very friendly。 I was more at home with Feargus； the piper； and with some of the gardeners than I was with any one else。 I think I was lonely without knowing； but I was never unhappy。 Jean and Angus were my nearest and dearest。 Jean was of good blood and a stanch gentlewoman； quite sufficiently educated to be my companion as she had been my early governess。
It was Jean who told Angus that I was giving myself too entirely to the study of ancient books and the history of centuries gone by。
〃She is living to…day； and she must not pass through this life without gathering anything from it。〃
〃This life；〃 she put it； as if I had passed through others before； and might pass through others again。 That was always her way of speaking； and she seemed quite unconscious of any unusualness in it。
〃You are a wise woman； Jean；〃 Angus said； looking long at her grave face。 〃A wise woman。〃
He wrote to the London book…shops for the best modern books； and I began to read them。 I felt at first as if they plunged me into a world I did not understand； and many of them I could not endure。 But I persevered； and studied them as I had studied the old ones； and in time I began to feel as if perhaps they were true。 My chief weariness with them came from the way they had of referring to the things I was so intimate with as though they were only the unauthenticated history of a life so long passed by that it could no longer matter to any one。 So often the greatest hours of great lives were treated as possible legends。 I knew why men had died or were killed or had borne black horror。 I knew because I had read old books and manuscripts and had heard the stories which had come down through centuries by word of mouth； passed from father to son。
But there was one man who did not write as if he believed the world had begun and would end with him。 He knew he was only one； and part of all the rest。 The name I shall give him is Hector MacNairn。 He was a Scotchman； but he had lived in many a land。 The first time I read a book he had written I caught my breath with joy； again and again。 I knew I had found a friend； even though there was no likelihood that I should ever see his face。 He was a great and famous writer； and all the world honored him； while I； hidden away in my castle on a rock on the edge of Muircarrie； was so far from being interesting or clever that even in my grandest evening dress and tiara of jewels I was as insignificant as a mouse。 In fact； I always felt rather silly when I was obliged to wear my diamonds on state occasions as custom sometimes demanded。
Mr。 MacNairn wrote essays and poems； and marvelous stories which were always real though they were called fiction。 Wheresoever his story was placedhowsoever remote and unknown the sceneit was a real place； and the people who lived in it were real； as if he had some magic power to call up human things to breathe and live and set one's heart beating。 I read everything he wrote。 I read every word of his again and again。 I always kept some book of his near enough to be able to touch it with my hand； and often I sat by the fire in the library holding one