s, Jeames? A fine woman that!"

"Nae that ill, but some forfochten wi' norsin' Mr Alec. Eh! sir, that's
a fine lad, gin he wad only haud steady."

"I'm thinkin' he winna gang far wrang again. He's gotten the arles
(earnest) and he winna want the wages.--That's a fine lassie that's
bidin' wi' them--Annie Anderson they ca' her."

"'Deed is she, sir. I kent her father afore her day, and I hae kent her
sin ever she had a day. She's ane o' the finest bairns ever was seen."

"Is she ony relation to the mistress?"

"Ow, na. Nae mair relation nor 'at a' gude fowk's sib."

And Dow told Cupples the girl's story, including the arrangement made
with Bruce in which he had had a principal part.

"_Annie Anderson_--I canna mak' oot whaur I hae heard her name afore."

"Ye're bidin' at Bruce's, arena ye, Mr Cupples?"

"Ay. That is, I'm sleepin' there, and payin' for't."

"Weel, I hae little doobt ye hae heard it there."

"I dinna think it. But maybe.--What kin' o' chiel' 's Bruce?"

"He's terrible greedy."

"A moudiwarp (mole) wi' ae ee wad see that afore he had winkit twice."

"'Deed micht he."

"Is he honest?"

"That's hard to answer. But I s' gar him be honest wi' regaird to her,
gin I can."

"Wad he chait?"

"Ay. Na. He wadna chait _muckle_. I wadna turn my back till him,
though, ohn keekit ower my shouther to haud him sicker. He wadna min'
doin' ill that gude micht come."

"Ay, ay; I ken him.--And the _ill_ wad be whatever hurtit anither man,
and the _gude_ whatever furthered himsel?" said Mr Cupples as he dipped
the last morsel of his third potato in the salt which he held in the
palm of his left hand.

"Ye hae said it, Mr Cupples."

And therewith, Mr Cupples bade James good-night, and went to _the
hoose_.

There he heard the happy news that Alec insisted on seeing him. Against
her will, Mrs Forbes had given in, as the better alternative to vexing
him. The result of the interview was, that Cupples sat up with him that
night, and Mrs Forbes and Annie both slept. In the morning he found a
bed ready for him, to which he reluctantly betook himself and slept for
a couple of hours. The end of it was, that he did not go back to Mr
Bruce's except to pay his bill. Nor did he leave Howglen for many
weeks.

At length, one lovely morning, when the green corn lay soaking in the
yellow sunlight, and the sky rose above the earth deep and pure and
tender like the thought of God about it, Alec became suddenly aware
t