ds her all but adopted child.

Alec went away once more to the great town. He had certain remnants of
study to gather up at the university, and a certain experience to go
through in the preparation of drugs, without which he could not obtain
his surgeon's diploma. The good harvest would by and by put a little
money in his mother's hands, and the sooner he was ready to practise
the better.

The very day after he went, Mrs Forbes drove to Willowcraig to see
Annie. She found her short-coated and short-wrappered, like any other
girl at a farmhouse. Annie was rather embarrassed at the sight of her
friend. Mrs Forbes could easily see, however, that there was no breach
in her affection towards her. Yet it must be confessed that having
regard to the final return of her son, she was quite as well pleased to
know that she was bound to remain where she was for some time to come.

She found the winter very dreary without her, though.

CHARTER XCII.

Finding herself in good quarters, Annie re-engaged herself at the end
of the half-year. She had spent the winter in house work, combined with
the feeding of pigs and poultry, and partial ministrations to the wants
of the cows, of which she had milked the few continuing to give milk
upon turnips and straw, and made the best of their scanty supply for
the use of the household. There was no hardship in her present life.
She had plenty of wholesome food to eat, and she lay warm at night. The
old farmer, who was rather overbearing with his men, was kind to her
because he liked her; and the guidwife was a sonsy (well conditioned)
dame, who, when she scolded, never meant anything by it.

She cherished her love for Alec, but was quite peaceful as to the
future. How she might have felt had she heard that he was going to be
married, I cannot take upon me to say.

When her work was done, she would go out for a lonely walk, without
asking leave or giving offence, indulging in the same lawlessness as
before, and seeming incapable of being restrained by other bonds than
those of duty.

And now the month of April was nearly over, and the primroses were
_glintin'_ on the braes.

One evening she went out bare-headed to look how a certain den, wont to
be haunted by wild-flowers and singing-birds, was getting on towards
its complement of summer pleasures. As she was climbing over a fence, a
horseman came round the corner of the road. She saw at a glance that it
was Alec, and got dow