“I don't go much on that,” she said with a laugh. “I've been living in Paris till maw--who's lying down upstairs--came over and brought me across to England for a look around. And I reckon Malcolm's got to keep touch with you on account of his property.”
The consul smiled. “Ah, then, I hope you can tell me something about THAT, for I really don't know whether he has established his claim or not.”
“Why,” returned the girl with naive astonishment, “that was just what I was going to ask YOU. He reckoned you'd know all about it.”
“I haven't heard anything of the claim for two months,” said the consul; “but from your reference to him as 'Sir Malcolm,' I presumed you considered it settled. Though, of course, even then he wouldn't be 'Sir Malcolm,' and you might have meant somebody else.”
“Well, then, Lord Malcolm--I can't get the hang of those titles yet.”
“Neither 'Lord' nor 'Sir'; you know the estate carries no title whatever with it,” said the consul smilingly.
“But wouldn't he be the laird of something or other, you know?”
“Yes; but that is only a Scotch description, not a title. It's not the same as Lord.”
The young girl looked at him with undisguised astonishment. A half laugh twitched the corners of her mouth. “Are you sure?” she said.
“Perfectly,” returned the consul, a little impatiently; “but do I understand that you really know nothing more of the progress of the claim?”
Miss Kirkby, still abstracted by some humorous astonishment, said quickly: “Wait a minute. I'll just run up and see if maw's coming down. She'd admire to see you.” Then she stopped, hesitated, and as she rose added, “Then a laird's wife wouldn't be Lady anything, anyway, would she?”
“She certainly would acquire no title merely through her marriage.”
The young girl laughed again, nodded, and disappeared. The consul, amused yet somewhat perplexed over the naive brusqueness of the interview, waited patiently. Presently she returned, a little out of breath, but apparently still enjoying some facetious retrospect, and said, “Maw will be down soon.” After a pause, fixing her bright eyes mischievously on the consul, she continued:--
The consul in so brief a period had been unable to judge.
“You wouldn't think I was half engaged to him, would you?”