inister had to dine earlier than usual. They were
in the middle of their soup--cockie-leekie, nice and hot, when the
maid informed her master that a woman was at the door, wanting to
see Sir Gilbert.

Gibbie looked up, put down his spoon, and was rising to go, when the
minister, laying his hand on his arm, pressed him gently back to his
chair, and Gibbie yielded, waiting.

"What sort of a woman?" he asked the girl.

"A decent-lookin' workin'-like body," she answered. "I couldna see
her verra weel, it's sae foggy the nicht aboot the door."

"Tell her we're at dinner; she may call again in an hour. Or if she
likes to leave a message--Stay: tell her to come again to-morrow
morning.--I wonder who she is," he added, turning, he thought, to
Gibbie.

But Gibbie was gone. He had passed behind his chair, and all he saw
of him was his back as he followed the girl from the room. In his
eagerness he left the door open, and they saw him dart to the
visitor, shake hands with her in evident delight, and begin pulling
her towards the room.

Now Mistress Croale, though nowise inclined to quail before the
minister, would not willingly have intruded herself upon him,
especially while he sat at dinner with his rather formidable lady;
but she fancied, for she stood where she could not see into the
dining-room, that Gibbie was taking her where they might have a
quiet news together, and, occupied with her bonnet or some other
source of feminine disquiet, remained thus mistaken until she stood
on the threshold, when, looking up, she started, stopped, made an
obedience to the minister, and another to the minister's lady, and
stood doubtful, if not a little abashed.

"Not here! my good woman," said Mr. Sclater, rising. "--Oh, it's
you, Mistress Croale!--I will speak to you in the hall."

Mrs. Croale's face flushed, and she drew back a step. But Gibbie
still held her, and with a look to Mr. Sclater that should have sent
straight to his heart the fact that she was dear to his soul, kept
drawing her into the room; he wanted her to take his chair at the
table. It passed swiftly through her mind that one who had been so
intimate both with Sir George and Sir Gibbie in the old time, and
had given the latter his tea every Sunday night for so long, might
surely, even in such changed circumstances, be allowed to enter the
same room with him, however grand it might be; and involuntarily
almost she yielded half a doubtful step, while M