Poor Jock;
poor old fellow; come here.'

'Where's your master, Jock; where's Neil?' said Reggie in a low voice,
as the dog came up to be petted.

They knocked at the outer door, but there was no answer. After a
moment's hesitation, they pushed it open and knocked at the door of the
kitchen.

'Come in,' said a faint voice; and they entered.

A woman was sitting by the peat fire, with her neglected spinning-wheel
beside her. She was strikingly handsome, in spite of her mournful
expression and dejected attitude. Her black hair, as yet only slightly
touched with grey waved on either side of a broad low forehead, and she
had a straight nose like Neil's and a beautifully shaped face; but the
eyes which she raised at the children's entrance were full of sorrow.

The boys hung about the doorway, and Marjorie felt a lump in her
throat; but Tricksy advanced courageously.

'How do you do, Mrs. Macdonnell?' she said, with a little gurgle in her
voice, that expressed more than she had the power to say in words.
'Mother said we might come and see you; and we thought you might like
some flowers.'

'Eh, Miss Tricksy, what a pretty posy! It wass ferry good of you to
come. Tek a seat, Miss Marjorie. Will you be finding places, young
gentlemen?'

'I hope you are pretty well, Mrs. Macdonnell?' said Marjorie, in a
voice which she could not keep from trembling a little.

'Pretty fair, thank you, Miss Marjorie,' replied Mrs. Macdonnell, while
Reggie and Hamish sat very stiffly upon their chairs, and Allan had
much ado to keep from fidgeting.

'We thought you would like to know, Mrs. Macdonnell,' began Tricksy;
'Bob MacLean said we might tell you; we wanted to say--Allan does, and
we all do--that we _know_ Neil couldn't have done such a thing, and we
have made a compact, all of us--Marjorie and Hamish and Euan Macdonnell
too--that we will never rest until we find out that he didn't do it,
and bring him home again. I thought you would be glad, Mrs.
Macdonnell; for Allan and Hamish are going to try very hard, and Euan
will do his best to help us.'

Mrs. Macdonnell's eyes glistened.

'It iss ferry good of you ahl, I am sure,' she said; then after a pause
she added, 'Indeed it is proud I am to know that my puir laddie----'

Her voice became husky and then failed; and feeling that the interview
had lasted long enough, the girls kissed her and they all took leave,
wondering whether they had done harm or good by their visit.