that sang to Black John ran beneath
them with a pleasant sound, and fifty yards of turf climbed up to the
cottage where the old road joined the new and the avenue of the Lodge
began. Over this ascent the branches met, through which the sunshine
glimmered and flickered, and down the centre came a white and brown cow
in charge of an old woman.

"It's Bell Robb, that lives in the cottage there among the bushes. I
was at the parish school with her, Kate--she 's just my age--for we
were all John Tamson's bairns in those days, and got our learning and
our licks together, laird's son and cottar's daughter.

"People would count it a queer mixture nowadays, but there were some
advantages in the former parish school idea; there were lots of
cleverer subalterns in the old regiment, but none knew his men so well
as I did. I had played and fought with their kind. Would you mind
saying a word to Bell . . . just her name or something?" for this was a
new life to the pride of the regiment, as they called Kate, and
Carnegie was not sure how she might take it. Kate was a lovable lass,
but like every complete woman, she had a temper and a stock of
prejudices. She was good comrade with all true men, although her heart
was whole, and with a few women that did not mince their words or carry
two faces, but Kate had claws inside the velvet, and once she so
handled with her tongue a young fellow who offended her that he sent in
his papers. What she said was not much, but it was memorable, and
every word drew blood. Her father was never quite certain what she
would do, although he was always sure of her love.

"Do you suppose, dad, that I 'm to take up with all your friends of the
jackdaw days? You seem to have kept fine company." Kate was already
out of the dogcart, and now took Bell by the hand.

"I am the General's daughter, and he was telling me that you and he
were playmates long ago. You 'll let me come to see you, and you 'll
tell me all his exploits when he was John Carnegie?"

[Illustration: "I am the General's daughter."]

"To think he minded me, an' him sae lang awa' at the weary wars." Bell
was between the laughing and the crying. "We 're lifted to know oor
laird 's a General, and that he's gotten sic honour. There's nae bluid
like the auld bluid, an' the Carnegies cud aye afford to be hamely.

"Ye're like him," and Bell examined Kate carefully; "but a' can tell
yir mither's dochter, a weel-faured mettlesome lad