d my lad,
Willie, to the foot o' the hill wi' your feesh, by five o'clock in the
morning. He will carry your basket easy, and do your bidding in a'
things. Gae yer ways to the town, and cry your feesh, and you'll hae
the siller in your hand when you come hame."

"Why can I not kipper my fish, Norman?"

"It isna worth while tellin' ye. God alone understands quarrelsome
women, but if you go to the kippering-shed, there will be trouble--and
trouble for me, Christine--for Jessy is in wi' them."

"I will do as you tell me, Norman. Hae the fish ready at six
o'clock."

Then Norman went away, and Christine put back in its place the
kippering suit, and took out her very prettiest selling suit. For her
mourning dress touched only her domestic and social life, her business
had its own dress, and the fisher dress was part of the business. She
had no sense of humiliation in assuming it, nor yet in the selling of
the fish. She had liked very well the little gossip with known
householders, and had not been offended by the compliments she
received from strangers and passersby. The first morning of this new
season was really a little triumph. All her old friends wanted to hear
about Margot's sickness and death, and when her basket was empty, she
sent Willie home and stayed with an old friend of her mother's, and
had a cup of tea and a fried herring with her.

They had much to talk about, and Christine resolved to stay with her
until the mail should come in, which would be about eleven o'clock.
Then if there was any letter for her, she could get it at once. "The
Domine is aye thoughtless anent the mail," she reflected, and then
with a little laugh added, "he hasna any love letters coming, or he
would be thinking on it."

She received two letters. One was a letter from Cluny, mailed at
Moville, Ireland. The other was from Blackwood's Publishing House,
offering her a hundred and fifty pounds advance, and ten per cent
royalty for her novel, or, if she preferred it, three hundred and
fifty pounds for all rights. She went to the Domine with this letter,
and he advised her to accept three hundred and fifty pounds for all
rights. "You will be requiring bride-dresses, and house-napery of many
kinds," he said, "and, my dear girl, God has sent you this check. He
knew you would have need of these things. You ought to be very happy
in this thought."

"I am, Sir. You know how 'just enough' has been my daily bread; and I
was worrying a littl