But Malcolm turned his head no more.
As soon as he was out of sight, Mrs Catanach rose, ascended the
dune, and propelled her rotundity along the yielding top of it.
When she arrived within speaking distance of Lady Florimel, who
lay lost in her dreary regard of sand and sea, she paused for a
moment, as if contemplating her.
Suddenly, almost by Lady Florimel's side, as if he had risen from
the sand, stood the form of the mad laird.
"I dinna ken whaur I come frae," he said.
Lady Florimel started, half rose, and seeing the dwarf so near,
and on the other side of her a repulsive looking woman staring at
her, sprung to her feet and fled. The same instant the mad laird,
catching sight of Mrs Catanach, gave a cry of misery, thrust his
fingers in his ears, darted down the other side of the dune and
sped along the shore. Mrs. Catanach shook with laughter.
"I hae skailled (dispersed) the bonny doos!" she said. Then she
called aloud after the flying girl,--"My leddy! My bonny leddy!"
Florimel paid no heed, but ran straight for the door of the
tunnel, and vanished. Thence leisurely climbing to the temple of
the winds, she looked down from a height of safety upon the shore
and the retreating figure of Mrs. Catanach. Seating herself by
the pedestal of the trumpet blowing Wind, she assayed her reading
again, but was again startled--this time by a rough salute
from Demon. Presently her father appeared, and Lady Florimel felt
something like a pang of relief at being found there, and not on
the farther side of the dune making it up with Malcolm.
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