"Your father? What? Is this Miss--"

"Yes, Edward," said Lady Helena; "this is Miss Mary Grant and her brother,
the two children condemned to orphanage by the cruel Admiralty!"

"Oh! Miss Grant," said Lord Glenarvan, raising the young girl,
"if I had known of your presence--"

He said no more, and there was a painful silence in the courtyard,
broken only by sobs. No one spoke, but the very attitude of both
servants and masters spoke their indignation at the conduct
of the English Government.

At last the Major said, addressing Lord Glenarvan: "Then you
have no hope whatever?"

"None," was the reply.

"Very well, then," exclaimed little Robert, "I'll go and speak to those
people myself, and we'll see if they--" He did not complete his sentence,
for his sister stopped him; but his clenched fists showed his intentions
were the reverse of pacific.

"No, Robert," said Mary Grant, "we will thank this noble lord
and lady for what they have done for us, and never cease to think
of them with gratitude; and then we'll both go together."

"Mary!" said Lady Helena, in a tone of surprise.

"Go where?" asked Lord Glenarvan.