her he
would look after its sale, and she was to worry no more about it. "Try
and forget it exists, Christine, then neither your wishing nor your
fearing will interfere with the fortune your good angel intends for
it."

"I am going to gie the house a good clean, frae the roof to the
doorstep," she answered, "and when I hae that business on hand, it is
all I can think about."

"Is not cleaning the house again a work of supererogation?"

"I dinna ken what kind o' wark that may be, Sir, but Mither always
cleaned the house weel, before the herring came. She'll be expecting
me to do the same thing."

So the Domine took away the manuscript, and Christine cleaned her
house with even extra care, and one night a week afterwards, she sat
down to her cup of tea, telling herself that there wasna a speck o'
dust from the roof to the doorstane. "Even the knives and forks shine
like siller," she said, "and the bath-brick board wouldna file the
cleanest duster." She was personally in the same spotless condition,
and the little scone, and bit of baked fish, and the cup of tea on the
snow white tablecloth, only emphasized this sense of absolute purity.

As she was drinking her tea, Norman lifted the latch and entered, and
she greeted him joyfully. "Come awa' and welcome," she cried. "I was
just longing to see you. Bring a cup and saucer off the rack, laddie,
and sit down, and tell me what's going on in the village."

"Weel, the great news is the nearness o' the herrin'. From a' accounts
we may hae them in our bay in a week."

"I am glad o' the news."

"I dinna think you would be carin'."

"Why shouldn't I care? I am longing to mak' some money. I intend to
tak' up my mither's kippering."

"I'm glad o' that. Why should ye let it slip through your fingers? I
heard tell that Nancy Baird was thinking o' taking Mither's place."

"She'll do naething o' that kind. Mither took pains to fit me for that
wark, and I am going to do it wi' all my might. Norman, what can you
do to mak' it easy for me?"

"That is what I came here to talk to you about. I'll tell Willie he is
your gillie, as it were, for the fishing. He will carry the fish to
the shed for you, and dinna forget Mither's cubby there is yours!
Feyther paid for the space, and put up all the fixtures. If they werna
named in the will, and there is any question of my right in the
matter, say, I hae given it to you."

"But the kippering shed and fixtures were named and given to