's working hard at the harvest.

MRS. GRANAHAN.

Aye 'deed there's a brave press o' work on now, what wi' the corn a
cuttin', and the rest o' it, he's been gey busy o' late.

JANE.

Indeed I am sure he was.

[She looks round, sees the fiddle hanging
up where Taylor has left it.]

[Aside.]

Is that the fiddle he was telling me about, I wonder?

[To Mrs. Granahan.]

Is that the tramp's fiddle, Mrs. Granahan?

MRS. GRANAHAN.

Aye, that's the poor cratur's belongin'. But you needn't be afeared.
Robbie's indeed been very good. He's nivir played on it to my knowin',
and keeps his promise well.

JANE.

Poor Robbie. Do you not think he's unhappy about something or other
Mrs. Granahan. He's got very dull and moody this last while.

MRS. GRANAHAN.

Deed now I don't see much odds in him Miss Graeme. He nivir was a
great boy with his tongue anyway;

[Slily.]

bar maybe an odd wan or two he would mak' up to.

JANE.

I think you do wrong to keep that fiddle hanging up before his eyes,
when he has promised never to play again.

MRS. GRANAHAN.

Och blatherations. I nivir heerd the like o' the sort o' talk people
goes on wi' nowadays. Do ye think my son bes only an ould ba cryin'
for a toy? Deed now I don't think he worries his-self much about it.

JANE.

[Aside.]

Poor Robbie.

[To Mrs. Granahan.]

Robbie's a poor hand at the farming, Mrs. Granahan.

MRS. GRANAHAN.

[Snappishly.]

Och aye. But he's greatly mended since he giv up playin'.

JANE.

Yes. He's a very poor farmer. But he was a wonder with his fiddle.

MRS. GRANAHAN.

Oh well. It canna' be helped. He's better wi'out.

JANE.

I don't know.

[She goes over and takes down the fiddle
seats herself and draws the bow across
it as it lies on her lap.]

Robbie could have made it speak to you. He used to make me cry, and
then laugh after it.

[She places the strings near