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THE ANGEL UNAWARES.
Although Betty seemed to hold little communication with the outer world, she yet contrived somehow or other to bring home what gossip was going to the ears of her mistress, who had very few visitors; for, while her neighbours held Mrs.Falconer in great and evident respect, she was not the sort of person to sit down and have a news with.

There was a certain sedate self-contained dignity about her which the common mind felt to be chilling and repellant; and from any gossip of a personal nature--what Betty brought her always excepted--she would turn away, generally with the words, 'Hoots! I canna bide clashes.' On the evening following that of Shargar's introduction to Mrs.
Falconer's house, Betty came home from the butcher's--for it was Saturday night, and she had gone to fetch the beef for their Sunday's broth--with the news that the people next door, that is, round the corner in the next street, had a visitor.
The house in question had been built by Robert's father, and was, compared with Mrs.Falconer's one-storey house, large and handsome.
Robert had been born, and had spent a few years of his life in it, but could recall nothing of the facts of those early days.

Some time before the period at which my history commences it had passed into other hands, and it was now quite strange to him.

It had been bought by a retired naval officer, who lived in it with his wife--the only Englishwoman in the place, until the arrival, at The Boar's Head, of the lady so much admired by Dooble Sanny.
Robert was up-stairs when Betty emptied her news-bag, and so heard nothing of this bit of gossip.