fire，andsweetenedwi’sugar，andstrengthenedwi’whusky；andthenye’reatypeo’toddy——andhumanlifeIgrantithasgotsomethingtosaytoyeinthatcapacity!“
“Ihaveheardmoreaboutyou，sinceIwasattheinn，“proceededBlanche，“thanyoumaysuppose。“Sheopenedherpurse：Mr。
Bishopriggsbecamethepictureofattention。“Youwerevery，verykindtoaladywhowasstayingatCraigFernie，“shewenton，earnestly。“Iknowthatyouhavelostyourplaceattheinn，becauseyougaveallyourattentiontothatlady。Sheismydearestfriend，Mr。Bishopriggs。Iwanttothankyou。Idothankyou。PleaseacceptwhatIhavegothere？“
Allthegirl’sheartwasinhereyesandinhervoiceassheemptiedherpurseintothegoutyandgreedyoldhandofBishopriggs。
Ayoungladywithawell-filledpursenomatterhowrichtheyoungladymaybeisacombinationnotoftenwitnessedinanycountryonthecivilizedearth。Eitherthemoneyisalwaysspent，orthemoneyhasbeenforgottenonthetoilet-tableathome。
Blanche’spursecontainedasovereignandsomesixorsevenshillingsinsilver。Aspocket-moneyforanheiressitwascontemptible。ButasagratuitytoBishopriggsitwasmagnificent。Theoldrascalputthemoneyintohispocketwithonehand，anddashedawaythetearsofsensibility，whichhehad_not_shed，withtheother。
“Castyerbreadonthewaters，“criedMr。Bishopriggs，withhisoneeyeraiseddevotionallytothesky，“andyesallfinditagainaftermonnydays!Heeh!hech!didnaIsaywhenIfirstseteyesonthatpuirleddy，’Ifeellikeafethertoye？’It’sseemplymairveloustoseehooaman’saingudedeedsfindhimootinthislowerwarldo’ours。IfeverIheardthevoiceo’
naituralaffectionspeakinginmyainbreast，“pursuedMr。
Bishopriggs，withhiseyefixedinuneasyexpectationonBlanche，“itjoostspak’trumpet-tonguedwhenthatwinsomecreaturefirstlookitatme。WillitbeshenowthattoldyeoftheweebitsairviceIrenderedtoherinthetimewhenIwasinbondageatthehottle？“
“Yes——shetoldmeherself。“
“MightImak’saebauldastoaskwhar’shemaybeatthepresenttime？“
“Idon’tknow，Mr。Bishopriggs。IammoremiserableaboutitthanIcansay。Shehasgoneaway——andIdon’tknowwhere。“
“Ow!ow!that’sbad。Andthebithusband-creaturedanglin’atherpetticoat’stailoneday，andawa’wi’thesunrisenextmornin’——havetheybaithtakenleg-bailtogether？“
“Iknownothingofhim；Ineversawhim。Yousawhim。Tellme——whatwashelike？“
“Eh!hewasjoostapuirweakcreature。Didn’tknowaglasso’
goodsherry-winewhenhe’dgotit。Freewi’thesiller——that’sa’
yecansayforhim——freewi’thesiller!“
FindingitimpossibletoextractfromMr。BishopriggsanyclearerdescriptionofthemanwhohadbeenwithAnneattheinnthanthis，Blancheapproachedthemainobjectoftheinterview。Tooanxioustowastetimeincircumlocution，sheturnedtheconversationatoncetothedelicateanddoubtfulsubjectofthelostletter。
“ThereissomethingelsethatIwanttosaytoyou，“sheresumed。
“Myfriendhadalosswhileshewasstayingattheinn。“
ThecloudsofdoubtrolledoffthemindofMr。Bishopriggs。Thelady’sfriendknewofthelostletter。And，betterstill，thelady’sfriendlookedasifshewantedit!
“Ay!ay!“hesaid，withalldueappearanceofcarelessness。“Likeeneugh。Fromthemistressdownward，they’rea’kittlecattleattheinnsinceI’veleft’em。Whatmayitha’beenthatshelost？“
“Shelostaletter。“
ThelookofuneasyexpectationreappearedintheeyeofMr。
Bishopriggs。Itwasaquestion——andaseriousquestion，fromhispointofview——whetheranysuspicionoftheftwasattachedtothedisappearanceoftheletter。
“Whenyesay’lost，’“heasked，“d’yemeanstolen？“
Blanchewasquitequickenoughtoseethenecessityofquietinghismindonthispoint。
“Ohno!“sheanswered。“Notstolen。Onlylost。Didyouhearaboutit？“
“Whereforesuld_I_ha’heardabootit？“HelookedhardatBlanche——anddetectedamomentaryhesitationinherface。“Tellmethis，myyoungleddy，“hewenton，advancingwarilyneartothepoint。“Whenye’respeeringfornewso’yourfriend’slostletter——whatsetsyeoncomin’to_me？_“
Thosewordsweredecisive。ItishardlytoomuchtosaythatBlanche’sfuturedependedonBlanche’sanswertothatquestion。
Ifshecouldhaveproducedthemoney；andifshehadsaid，boldly，“Youhavegottheletter，Mr。Bishopriggs：Ipledgemywordthatnoquestionsshallbeasked，andIofferyoutenpoundsforit“——inallprobabilitythebargainwouldhavebeenstruck；
andthewholecourseofcomingeventswould，inthatcase，havebeenaltered。Butshehadnomoneyleft；andtherewerenofriends，inthecircleatSwanhaven，towhomshecouldapply，withoutbeingmisinterpreted，foraloanoftenpounds，tobeprivatelyintrustedtoheronthespot。UnderstressofsheernecessityBlancheabandonedallhopeofmakinganypresentappealofapecuniarynaturetotheconfidenceofBishopriggs。
TheoneotherwayofattainingherobjectthatshecouldseewastoarmherselfwiththeinfluenceofSirPatrick’sname。Aman，placedinherposition，wouldhavethoughtitmeremadnesstoventureonsuchariskasthis。ButBlanche——withoneactofrashnessalreadyonherconscience——rushed，woman-like，straighttothecommissionofanother。Thesameheadlongeagernesstoreachherend，whichhadhurriedherintoquestioningGeoffreybeforeheleftWindygates，nowdroveher，justasrecklessly，intotakingthemanagementofBishopriggsoutofSirPatrick’sskilledandpracticedhands。ThestarvingsisterlyloveinherhungeredforatraceofAnne。Herheartwhispered，Riskit!AndBlancheriskeditonthespot。
“SirPatricksetmeoncomingtoyou，“shesaid。
TheopeninghandofMr。Bishopriggs——readytodelivertheletter，andreceivethereward——closedagaininstantlyasshespokethosewords。
“SirPaitrick？“herepeated“Ow!ow!ye’veeentauldSirPaitrickabootit，haveye？There’sachielwi’alangheadonhisshouthers，ifevertherewasaneyet!WhatmightSirPaitrickha’
said？“
Blanchenoticedachangeinhistone。Blanchewasrigidlycarefulwhenitwastoolatetoanswerhiminguardedterms。
“SirPatrickthoughtyoumighthavefoundtheletter，“shesaid，“andmightnothaverememberedaboutitagainuntilafteryouhadlefttheinn。“
Bishopriggslookedbackintohisownpersonalexperienceofhisoldmaster——anddrewthecorrectconclusionthatSirPatrick’sviewofhisconnectionwiththedisappearanceoftheletterwasnotthepurelyunsuspiciousviewreportedbyBlanche。“Thedouraulddeevil，“hethoughttohimself，“knowsmebetterthan_that!_“
“Well？“askedBlanche，impatiently。“IsSirPatrickright？“
“Richt？“rejoinedBishopriggs，briskly。“He’sasfarawa’fromthetruthasJohno’Groat’sHouseisfromJericho。“
“Youknownothingoftheletter？“
“DeilabitIknowo’theletter。ThefirstIha’heardo’itiswhatIhearnoo。“
Blanche’sheartsankwithinher。Hadshedefeatedherownobject，andcutthegroundfromunderSirPatrick’sfeet，forthesecondtime？Surelynot!Therewasunquestionablyachance，onthisoccasion，thatthemanmightbeprevailedupontoplacethetrustinherunclewhichhewastoocautioustoconfidetoastrangerlikeherself。TheonewisethingtodonowwastopavethewayfortheexertionofSirPatrick’ssuperiorinfluence，andSirPatrick’ssuperiorskill。Sheresumedtheconversationwiththatobjectinview。
“IamsorrytohearthatSirPatrickhasguessedwrong，“sheresumed。“MyfriendwasanxioustorecovertheletterwhenIlastsawher；andIhopedtohearnewsofitfromyou。However，rightorwrong，SirPatrickhassomereasonsforwishingtoseeyou——andItaketheopportunityoftellingyouso。HehasleftalettertowaitforyouattheCraigFernieinn。“
“I’mthinkingtheletterwillha’langeneughtowait，ifitwaitstillIgaebackforittothehottle，“remarkedBishopriggs。
“Inthatcase，“saidBlanche，promptly，“youhadbettergivemeanaddressatwhichSirPatrickcanwritetoyou。Youwouldn’t，I
suppose，wishmetosaythatIhadseenyouhere，andthatyourefusedtocommunicatewithhim？“
“Neverthinkit!“criedBishopriggs，fervently。“Ifthere’sainthingmairthananitherthatI’mcarefu’topresairveintact，it’sjoosttherespectfulattentionthatIowetoSirPaitrick。
I’llmakesaebauld，miss，autochairgeyewi’thatbitcaird。
I’mno’settledinonyplaceyetmair’sthepityatmytimeo’
life!，butSirPaitrickmayhearo’me，whenSirPaitrickhasneedo’me，there。“HehandedadirtylittlecardtoBlanchecontainingthenameandaddressofabutcherinEdinburgh。