ears had passed since this lad had heard a little child's voice in
song; or, indeed, any music, for his mother's sad life had not been
conducive to merry feelings, and one has to be at least fairly happy to
sing.

And when the child again broke forth and caroled a little French
lullaby, as though singing to her dolly, Owen stood there, nervously
opening and closing his hands, as though enthralled beyond measure.

When the song had died away he could no longer resist the temptation to
feast his eyes upon the singer.

This would not be difficult to do, for the door was open, and all that
seemed necessary was for him to move still closer and bend forward.

He did not fancy being seen in such an act, no matter how honorable his
intention, for these rough dwellers in the wilds have a peculiar code of
their own, and spying of any kind is severely frowned down upon.

Nevertheless he could not let the opportunity pass unimproved; and so
Owen began to move forward, trying to keep beyond the strongest path of
light that flowed from the open door.

When he thrust his head forward and saw the interior of the room he
stood there as if frozen into a pillar of ice.

If the spectacle of that little witch with the golden locks had held
Cuthbert spellbound, imagine how it affected this lad, who knew he was
looking on the only close relative he had in the wide world, saving the
factor--who did not count, anyway. He felt as though he could not tear
himself away, there was something so fascinating about the small maid
and her cunning ways, as she rocked her dolly and went through all the
necessary operations required to put a real flesh and blood baby to
sleep.

And what made it all the more entrancing to Owen was the unmistakable
fact that it seemed to him he must be looking upon the face of his own
dearly loved mother when she was a child; for the sister's little one
had, as is often the case, resembled the one so much in her anxious
mind, rather than herself.

Looking thus upon such a charming picture, was it strange that Owen
found himself thinking along certain lines that up to now he would have
cast from him with scorn, as an evidence of weakening?

Cuthbert had made no mistake when he concluded that, sooner or later,
through the means of this little peacemaker, must the vendetta existing
between Owen and his grandfather be brought to a close.

When she had laid her doll carefully down and stroked it gently, just as
a rea