ay he felt a bit ashamed of himself.

"Hola, Jock!" he cried. "I didn't thought anybody was there. I am in
what you call the high spirits to-night."

"So it seems!" said I, in my blunt fashion. "You may not feel so merry
when my friend Jim Horscroft comes back to-morrow."

"Ah! he comes back to-morrow, does he? And why should I not feel merry?

"Because, if I know the man, he will kill you."

"Ta, ta, ta!" cried de Lapp. "I see that you know of our marriage.
Edie has told you. Jim may do what he likes."

"You have given us a nice return for having taken you in."

"My good fellow," said he, "I have, as you say, given you a very nice
return. I have taken Edie from a life which is unworthy of her, and I
have connected you by marriage with a noble family. However, I have
some letters which I must write to-night, and the rest we can talk over
to-morrow, when your friend Jim is here to help us."

He stepped towards the door.

"And this was whom you were awaiting at the peel tower!" I cried, seeing
light suddenly.

"Why, Jock, you are becoming quite sharp," said he, in a mocking tone;
and an instant later I heard the door of his room close and the key turn
in the lock.

I thought that I should see him no more that night; but a few minutes
later he came into the kitchen, where I was sitting with the old folk.

"Madame," said he, bowing down with his hand over his heart, in his own
queer fashion, "I have met with much kindness in your hands, and it
shall always be in my heart. I didn't thought I could have been so
happy in the quiet country as you have made me. You will accept this
small souvenir; and you also, sir, you will take this little gift,
which I have the honour to make to you."

He put two little paper packets down upon the table at their elbows, and
then, with three more bows to my mother, he walked from the room.

Her present was a brooch, with a green stone set in the middle and a
dozen little shining white ones all round it. We had never seen such
things before, and did not know how to set a name to them; but they told
us afterwards at Berwick that the big one was an emerald and the others
were diamonds, and that they were worth much more than all the lambs we
had that spring. My dear old mother has been gone now this many a year,
but that bonny brooch sparkles at the neck of my eldest daughter when
she goes out into company; and I never look at it that I do not see the
keen eyes and the