astened away to
have a last word with Mrs. Craig-Urquhart, who was swimming languidly
by.

Miss Brodie turned eagerly to Dunn. "I'd like to help you awfully," she
said; "indeed I must try. I have very little hope. My uncle is so strong
when he is once set, and he is so funny about that Bank. But a boy is
worth more than a Bank, if he IS a fool; besides, there is his sister.
Good-night. Thanks for letting me help. I have little hope, but
to-morrow I shall see Sir Archibald, and--and his pigs."

It was still in the early forenoon of the following day when Miss
Brodie greeted her uncle as he was about to start upon his round of the
pastures and pens where the Wiltshires of various ages and sizes and
sexes were kept. With the utmost enthusiasm Miss Brodie entered into his
admiration of them all, from the lordly prize tusker to the great mother
lying broadside on in grunting and supreme content, every grunt eloquent
of happiness and maternal love and pride, to allow her week-old brood to
prod and punch her luxuriant dugs for their breakfast.

By the time they had made their rounds Sir Archibald had arrived at his
most comfortable and complacent mood. He loved his niece. He loved her
for the sake of his dead brother, and as she grew in years, he came to
love her for herself. Her sturdy independent fearlessness, her
sound sense, her honest heart, and chiefly, if it must be told, her
whole-souled devotion to himself, made for her a great space in his
heart. And besides all this, they were both interested to the point of
devotion in pigs. As he watched his niece handling the little sucklings
with tender care, and listened to her appraising their varying merits
with a discriminating judgment, his heart filled up with pride in her
many accomplishments and capabilities.

"Isn't she happy, Uncle?" she exclaimed, lifting her brown, sunny face
to him.

"Ay, lassie," replied Sir Archibald, lapsing into the kindly "braid
Scots," "I ken fine how she feels."

"She's just perfectly happy," said his niece, "and awfully useful and
good. She is just like you, Uncle."

"What? Oh, thank you, I'm extremely flattered, I assure you."

"Uncle, you know what I mean! Useful and good. Here you are in this
lovely home--how lovely it is on a warm, shiny day like this!--safe from
cares and worries, where people can't get at you, and making--"

"Ah, I don't know about that," replied her uncle, shaking his head with
a frown. "Some people have ne