ver delivering herself of the news in question.

First, Gatty himself came to her, and, casting uneasy glances at the
door by which his mother had just gone out, said:

"Christie!"

"My lad!"

"I want to paint your likeness."

This was for a _souvenir,_ poor fellow!

"Hech! I wad like fine to be painted."

"It must be exactly the same size as yourself, and so like you, that,
should we be parted, I may seem not to be quite alone in the world."

Here he was obliged to turn his head away.

"But we'll no pairt," replied Christie, cheerfully. "Suppose ye're puir,
I'm rich, and it's a' one; dinna be so cast down for auchty pund."

At this, a slipshod servant entered, and said: "There's a fisher lad,
inquiring for Christie Johnstone."

"It will be Flucker," said Christie; "show him ben. What's wrang the noo
I wonder!"

The baddish boy entered, took up a position and remained apparently
passive, hands in pockets.

_Christie._ "Aweel, what est?"

_Flucker._ "Custy."

_Christie._ "What's your will, my manny?"

_Flucker._ "Custy, I was at Inch Keith the day."

_Christie._ "And hae ye really come to Edinbro' to tell me thaat?"

_Flucker (dryly)._ "Oh! ye ken the lasses are a hantle wiser than we
are--will ye hear me? South Inch Keith, I played a bowl i' the water,
just for divairsion--and I catched twarree fish!"

_Christie._ "Floonders, I bet."

_Flucker._ "Does floonders swim high? I'll let you see his gills, and if
ye are a reicht fishwife ye'll smell bluid."

Here he opened his jacket, and showed a bright little fish.

In a moment all Christie's nonchalance gave way to a fiery animation.
She darted to Flucker's side.

"Ye hae na been sae daft as tell?" asked she.

Flucker shook his head contemptuously.

"Ony birds at the island, Flucker?"

"Sea-maws, plenty, and a bird I dinna ken; he moonted sae high, then
doon like thunder intil the sea, and gart the water flee as high as
Haman, and porpoises as big as my boat."

"Porr-poises, fulish laddy--ye hae seen the herrin whale at his wark,
and the solant guse ye hae seen her at wark; and beneath the sea,
Flucker, every coedflsh and doegfish, and fish that has teeth, is after
them; and half Scotland wad be at Inch Keith Island if they kenned what
ye hae tell't me--dinna speak to me."

During this, Gatty, who did not comprehend this sudden excitement, or
thought it childish, had tried in vain to win her attention.

At last he said, a little peevish