“That iss your cabin, mem, if you please, mem,” said Christina, who had been instructed in English politeness by her husband.

“Well, now, can you understand this?  Go to Sir Keith Macleod, and tell him that I have shut myself up in that cabin; and that I will speak not a word to any one; and I will neither eat nor drink until I am taken on shore.  And so, if he wishes to have a murder on his hands, very well!  Do you understand that?”

“I will say that to Sir Keith,” Christina answered, submissively.

Miss White walked into the cabin and locked herself in.  It was an apartment with which she was familiar; but where had they got the white heather?  And there were books; but she paid little heed.  They would discover they had not broken her spirit yet.

On either side the skylight overhead was open an inch; and it was nearer to the tiller than the skylight of the saloon.  In the absolute stillness of this summer day she heard two men talking.  Generally they spoke in the Gaelic, which was of course unintelligible to her; but sometimes they wandered into English—­especially if the name of some English town cropped up—­and thus she got hints as to the whereabouts of the Umpire.

“Oh yes, it is a fine big town that town of Gravesend, to be sure, Hamish,” said the one voice, “and I have no doubt, now, that it will be sending a gentleman to the Houses of Parliament in London, just as Greenock will do.  But there is no one you will send from Mull.  They do not know much about Mull in the Houses of Parliament.”

“And they know plenty about ferry much worse places,” said Hamish, proudly.  “And wass you saying there will be anything so beautiful about Greenock ass you will find at Tobbermorry?”

“Tobermory!” said the other; “There are some trees at Tobermory—­oh yes; and the Mish-nish and the shops—­”

“Yess, and the waterfahl—­do not forget the waterfahl, Colin; and there iss better whiskey in Tobbermorry ass you will get in all Greenock, where they will be for mixing it with prandy and other drinks like that; and at Tobbermorry you will hef a Professor come all the way from Edinburgh and from Oban to gif a lecture on the Gaelic; but do you think he would gif a lecture in a town like Greenock?  Oh no; he would not do that!”

“Very well, Hamish; but it is glad I am that we are going back the way we came.”

“And me, too, Colin.”

“And I will not be sorry when I am in Greenock once more.”

“But you will come with us first of all to Castle Dare, Colin,” was the reply.  “And I know that Lady Macleod herself will be for shaking hands with you, and thanking you that you wass tek the care of the yacht.”

“I think I will stop at Greenock, Hamish.  You know you can take her well on from Greenock.  And will you go round the Mull, Hamish, or through the Crinan, do you think now?”

“Oh, I am not afrait to tek her round the Moil; but there iss the English lady on board; and it will be smoother for her to go through the Crinan.  And it iss ferry glad I will be, Colin, to see Ardalanish Point again; for I would rather be going through the Doruis Mohr twenty times ass getting petween the panks of this tamned river.”