He gave me one
of the huts for myself, and I was a thought frightened to sleep there
my leafu' lane at first, but I put my trust in my Maker, and He watched
over me. I cooked in my own hut, and settled up the master's. He began
to think that a boarded floor would be an improvement, and he got the
men to saw them up. Hard work it was for them; and ill-coloured boards
they made; but when they were laid down, and a glass window put in, the
master's hut looked more purpose-like.

"I was not feared for the wild kye when I saw that the stockkeeper
would help me to get them into the bail; and when we got a milk-house
dug out of the hill-side, I made grand butter. I'll not soon forget the
day I had my first kirning. The stockkeeper--George Powell was his
name--had got into the dairy, as I thought, to lick the cream, for he
was an awful hand on it; but he kept hanging about, and glowering at
the milk-pans, and then looking at me, till at last he said some
nonsense, and I told him to be off with his daffing; I would tell the
master if he said an uncivil word.

"'I don't mean to be uncivil, Peggy; quite the contrary,' says he.

"'Then what do you mean?' says I, taking his hand off my shoulder, and
driving it bang against the stone slab we put the milk-pans on.

"'I mean, Peggy, will you marry me?' says he; 'that's civil enough,
surely.'

"'No I won't,' says I. 'Thank you for the compliment, all the same, but
I have no wish to change my condition.'

"'Tell that to the marines,' says he. 'If you don't like me, tell me
so; but none of that nonsense.'

"'I like you well enough; but what I say is no nonsense. I do not wish
to change my condition.'

"'It would be a good change for you,' says he. 'I wonder you are not
frightened to stay here a single woman. Now, if you were my wife, I
could protect you;' and he flourished the arm I had given the bang
to--and a goodly arm it was.

"I told him about the bairns, and he just laughed at me. 'We'll see,'
says he. 'We'll see. Wait a little.'

"Well, every kirning that he was not out at a distance on the master's
business, did that man Powell come into the dairy and ask me the same
question, and get the same answer; and three of the shepherds, and a
little imp of a laddie that looked after the horses, made up to me too,
and seemed to think it was not fair that I would choose none of them.
Any woman with a white face might have had as many sweethearts; but I
think it was my managing