nae sense?' I jist tied up the paircel again an'
left it on his bed.'

'Weel, that ends it,' John said comfortably. 'But'--with a
wink--'let it be a lesson to ye never to tamper wi' yer son's
correspondence. Ye're pretty sure to find mair nor ye expec'.'

Mrs. Robinson clasped her hands. 'Oh, dear! hoo can ye joke aboot
it? What if Christina breaks her engagement.'

'What?' he cried, suddenly alarmed. 'Break her engagement! Surely
ye dinna mean that! Did she say onything? Did she seem offended?
Did she----'

'Never a word--but her look was different. But whatever stupid
thing the laddie may ha'e done, his heart's set on Christina. It
wud break his heart if----'

'This is bad,' said John, all dismayed. 'I didna think it wud be
that serious. But I'll tell ye what I'll dae, Lizzie. I'll gang
the morn and see Christina an' tell her----'

'What'll ye tell her?'

'Dear knows! What wud ye say yersel'?'

'Neither you nor me can say onything. Macgreegor'll ha'e to
explain--if he can.'

Mr. Robinson groaned, then brightened. 'I yinst had a cousin
called Maggie,' he said; 'unfortunately she's been deid for fifteen
year. Still----'

'It's time ye was in yer bed, John. Ye canna dae onything, ma man,
excep' hope for the best.'

* * * * *

At dead of night--

'Lizzie!'

Silence.

'_Lizzie_!'

'Eh?--what is 't, John?'

'I was thinkin', wife; I was thinkin' it's no sae bad since her
name's Maggie. Ye see, if it had been Henrietta, or Dorothea,
or----'

'Mercy! Are ye talkin' in yer sleep?'

'I was gaun for to say that a Henrietta an' so forth wud be easier
traced nor a Maggie, Maggies bein' as common as wulks at Dunoon,
whereas----'

'D'ye imagine Christina--oh, dinna be silly, man!'

'But, Maggie--I mean Lizzie----'

'Oh, for ony favour gang to sleep an' rest yer brains.'

* * * * *

When Macgregor, alone save for the slumbering Jimsie, had opened
the parcel he muttered savagely: 'Oh, dash it! I wish she had kep'
her rotten socks to hersel'!'--and stuffed the gift behind the
chest of drawers. The message he tore into a hundred fragments.
Then he went to bed and slept better, perhaps, than he deserved.
He expected there would be a letter in the morning, for Christina
had left no message with his mother.

But there was no letter, so, after breakfast, he made a trip to the
camp on the chance, and in the hope, that one might be