seen as in a dream
from the shore, he indulged in the cordiality and cosiness of the
warm kitchen for a little with selfish gladness. But it was only for a
little; the disaster to the vessel and the consciousness that his own
part in the business would certainly come to light, overwhelmed him
again, and it was a most dolorous face that looked at Miss Mary over the
viands she had just put before him.

"What ails the callant?" she demanded in a tremble, staring at him.

He burst into tears, the first she had seen on his face since ever he
had come to her house, and all her mother's heart was sore.

"What mischief were you in?" she asked, putting an arm about his neck,
and her troubled face down upon his hair as he shook in his chair. "I am
sure you were not to blame. It could not have been much, Gilian.
Tuts! tuts!" And so she went on in a ludicrous way, coaxing him to
indifference for the sin she fancied.

At last he told her the beginnings of his tragedy, that he had seen the
_Jean_ wrecked on Ealan Dubh, and the girl Nan on board of her. She was
for a moment dumb with horror, believing the end had come to all upon
the vessel, but on this Gilian speedily assured her, and "Oh, am n't I
glad!" said she with a simple utterance and a transport on her visage
that showed how deep was her satisfaction.

"How did they get ashore?" she asked,

"In the small boat," said Gilian uncomfortably. "It caught on the logs
at the mouth of the river when she drifted off, and--and--"

"And a boy went out in it and brought them help!" she cried, finely
uplifted in a delight that she had guessed the cause of his trepidation.
"Oh, you darling! And not to say a word of it! Am not I the proud woman
this day? My dear companion Nan's girl!"

She caught him fervently as he rose ashamed from his seat to explain
or to make an escape from the punishment that was in her error, a
punishment more severe than if he had been blamed. She was one never
prone to the displays of love and rapture, but this time her joy
overcame her, and she kissed him with something of a redness on her
face. It was to the boy as if he had been smitten on the mouth. He drew
back almost rudely in so great a confusion that it but confirmed her
guess. "You must come and tell my brothers," said she, "this very
moment. Don't say anything about the lass, but they'll be keen to hear
about the vessel They sit there hearing nothing of the world's news,
unless it comes to the fi