"I hope he is very well," said Mairi dutifully: she could at least say
that honestly.

"You will see him at two o'clock. He is coming in to luncheon; and he
does not know you are here, and you are to be a great surprise to him,
Mairi. And there is to be a greater surprise still; for we are going
to make one of the rooms into the drawing-room at home; and you must
open your boxes, and bring me down the heather and the peat, Mairi,
and the two bottles; and then, you know, when the salmon is on the
table, and the whisky and the beer, and Bras lying on the hearth-rug,
and the peat-smoke all through the room, then you will come in and
shake hands with him, and he will think he is in Borva again."

Mairi was a little puzzled. She did not understand the intention of
this strange thing. But she went and fetched the materials she had
brought with her from Lewis, and Sheila and she set to work.

It was a pleasant enough occupation for this bright forenoon, and
Sheila, as she heard Mairi's sweet Highland speech, and as she
brought from all parts of the house the curiosities sent her from
the Hebrides, would almost have fancied she was superintending a
"cleaning" of that museum-like little drawing-room at Borva. Skins of
foxes, seals and deer, stuffed eagles and strange fishes, masses of
coral and wonderful carvings in wood brought from abroad, shells of
every size from every clime,--all these were brought together
into Frank Lavender's smoking-room. The ordinary ornaments of the
mantelpiece gave way to fanciful arrangements of peacocks' feathers.
Fresh-blown ling and the beautiful spikes of the bell-heather formed
the staple of the decorations, and Mairi had brought enough to adorn