Life of Flora Macdonald and her adventures with Prince Charles

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asked her were of a less disagreeable character, such as —
"What news, Miss Macdonald, from the Long Island?
What of that unfortunate rebel, Prince Charles ? " In
answer to the latter, Flora smiled and expressed herself in
the blandest terms, saying, " Perhaps, Captain Macleod, you
are not aware that I am a bit of a Jacobite myself, and I
am therefore glad to understand, that the unfortunate
fugitive has at last succeeded in effecting his escape from
his pursuers, and that, by means of a vessel from France
put at his service, he has left the Long Island ". The
officer listened attentively, and deemed the truth of the state-
ment highly probable.
At dinner, Lady Margaret sat at the head of the table,
and her factor, Kingsburgh, in the absence of her husband,
occupied the other end of it. As the guests were numer-
ous, and some of them, such as Flora and Mrs. Macdonald,
Kirkibost, exceptionally welcome ones, her Ladyship ap-
peared overjoyed, but expressed regret that her husband was
absent, as she seldom had the pleasure of such an interesting
company in that remote quarter. All this time, however,
her Ladyship was not aware that the Prince was in the im-
mediate vicinity of her dwelling.
Flora, always guarded and far-seeing, well knew, that
when the secret must soon be revealed to her Ladyship, it
would be necessary to send a messenger to the Prince and
acquaint him of such future proceedings as might be
judged advisable to adopt. For this purpose, she had
Niel, her own servant, in her eye, as the most suitable
medium for the undertaking. In course of the table talk,
Captain Macleod, while in the act of dissecting a partridge,
asked her Ladyship if there was much ground-game in that
quarter; when she replied that they had some snipe and
partridges j and that there was great abundance of wild