."

Notwithstanding his new power, it was hardly, therefore, with his
usual elation, that he took his seat on the coach. But his
reception was the same as ever. At his mother's persuasion, Donal,
he found, instead of betaking himself again to bodily labours as he
had purposed, had accepted a situation as tutor offered him by one
of the professors. He had told his mother all his trouble.

"He'll be a' the better for 't i' the en'," she said, with a smile
of the deepest sympathy, "though, bein' my ain, I canna help bein'
wae for 'im. But the Lord was i' the airthquak, an' the fire, an'
the win' that rave the rocks, though the prophet couldna see 'im.
Donal 'ill come oot o' this wi' mair room in's hert an' mair licht
in's speerit."

Gibbie took his slate from the crap o' the wa' and wrote. "If money
could do anything for him, I have plenty now."

"I ken yer hert, my bairn," replied Janet; "but na; siller's but a
deid horse for onything 'at smacks o' salvation. Na; the puir
fallow maun warstle oot o' the thicket o' deid roses as best he
can--sair scrattit, nae doobt. Eh! it's a fearfu' an' won'erfu'
thing that drawin' o' hert to hert, an' syne a great snap, an' a
stert back, an' there's miles atween them! The Lord alane kens the
boddom o' 't; but I'm thinkin' there's mair intill't, an' a heap
mair to come oot o' 't ere a' be dune, than we hae ony guiss at."

Gibbie told her that Glashruach was his. Then first the extent of
his wealth seemed to strike his old mother.

"Eh! ye'll be the laird, wull ye, than? Eh, sirs! To think o' this
hoose an' a' bein' wee Gibbie's! Weel, it dings a'. The w'ys o'
the Lord are to be thoucht upon! He made Dawvid a king, an' Gibbie
he's made the laird! Blest be his name."

"They tell me the mountain is mine," Gibbie wrote: "your husband
shall be laird of Glashgar if he likes."

"Na, na," said Janet, with a loving look. "He's ower auld for that.
He micht na dee sae easy for't.--Eh! please the Lord, I wad fain
gang wi' him.--An' what better wad Robert be to be laird? We pey
nae rent as 'tis, an' he has as mony sheep to lo'e as he can weel
ken ane frae the ither, noo 'at he's growin' auld, I ken naething
'at he lacks, but Gibbie to gang wi' 'im aboot the hill. A
neebour's laddie comes an' gangs, to help him, but, eh, says Robert,
he's no Gibbie!--But gien Glashruach be yer ain, my bonnie man, ye
maun gang doon there this verra nicht, and gie a luik to the burn;
for