them--some of them!" said Ian. "Come along, if we're going
through the glen."

They left the kirkyard for the village street. Here they sauntered,
friends with the whole. They looked in at the tavern upon the drovers,
they watched the blacksmith and his helper. The red iron rang, the
sparks flew. At the foot of the hill flowed the stream and stood the
mill. The wheel turned, the water diamonds dropped in sheets. Their
busy, idle day took them on; they were now in bare, heathy country
with the breathing, winey air. Presently White Farm could be seen
among aspens, and beyond it the wooded mouth of the glen. Some one,
whistling, turned an elbow of the hill and caught up with the two. It
proved to be one several years their senior, a young man in the
holiday dress of a prosperous farmer. He whistled clearly an old
border air and walked without dragging or clumsiness. Coming up, he
ceased his whistling.

"Good day, the both of ye!"

"It's Robin Greenlaw," said Alexander, "from Littlefarm.--You've been
to the wedding, Robin?"

"Aye. Janet's some kind of a cousin. It's a braw day for a wedding!
You've got with you the new laird's nephew?--And how are you liking
Black Hill?"

"I like it."

"I suppose you miss grandeurs abune what ye've got there. I have a
liking myself," said Greenlaw, "for grandeurs, though we've none at
all at Littlefarm! That is to say, none that's just obvious. Are you
going to White Farm?"

Alexander answered: "I've a message from my father for Mr. Barrow. But
after that we're going through the glen. Will you come along?"

"I would," said Greenlaw, seriously, "if I had not on my best. But I
know how you, Alexander Jardine, take the devil's counsel about
setting foot in places bad for good clothes! So I'll give myself the
pleasure some other time. And so good day!" He turned into a path that
took him presently out of sight and sound.

"He's a fine one!" said Alexander. "I like him."

"Who is he?"

"White Farm's great-nephew. Littlefarm was parted from White Farm.
It's over yonder where you see the water shining."

"He's free-mannered enough!"

"That's you and England! He's got as good a pedigree as any, and a
notion of what's a man, besides. He's been to Glasgow to school, too.
I like folk like that."

"I like them as well as you!" said Ian. "That is, with reservations of
them I cannot like. I'm Scots, too."

Alexander laughed. They came down to the water and the stepping-stones
before