g."

"Now, Jean, does Jock look as if anything so small as a fortune could
put him wrong? And David--by the way, where is David?"

"Out," said Jock, "getting something at the stationer's. Let me tell him
when he comes in."

"Then I'll tell Mrs. M'Cosh," cried Mhor, and, followed by Peter, he
rushed from the room.

The colour was beginning to come back to Jean's face, and the stunned
look to go out of her eyes.

"Why in the world has he left it to me?" she asked Pamela.

"You see the lawyer suggests coming to see you. He will explain it all.
It's a wonderful stroke of luck, Jean. No wonder you can't take it in."

"I feel like the little old woman in the nursery-rhyme who said, 'This
is none of I.' I'm bound to wake up and find I've dreamt it.... Oh, Mrs.
M'Cosh!"

"It's the wee laddie Scott to say his mother canna come and wash the
morn's mornin'; she's no weel. It's juist as weel, seein' the biler's
gone wrang. I suppose I'd better gie the laddie a piece?"

"Yes, and a penny." Then Jean remembered her new possessions. "No, give
him this, please, Mrs. M'Cosh."

Mrs. M'Cosh received the coin and gasped. "Hauf a croon!" she said.

"Silver," said Pamela, "is to be no more accounted of than it was in the
days of Solomon!"

"D'ye ken whit ye'll dae?" demanded Mrs. M'Cosh. "Ye'll get the laddie
taen up by the pollis. Gie him thruppence--it's mair wise-like."

"Oh, very well," said Jean, thwarted at the very beginning of her
efforts in philanthropy. "I'll go and see his mother to-morrow and find
out what she needs. Have you heard the news, Mrs. M'Cosh?"

Mrs. M'Cosh came farther into the room and folded her hands on her
snow-white apron.

"Weel, Mhor came in and tell't me some kinna story aboot a lot o' money,
but I thocht he was juist bletherin'. Is't a fac'?"

"It would seem to be. The lawyer in London writes that Mr. Peter
Reid--d'you perhaps remember an old man who came here to tea one day in
October?--he came from London and lived at the Temperance--has left me
all his fortune, which is a large one. I can't think why.... And I
thought he was so poor, I wanted to have him here to stay, to save him
paying hotel bills. Poor man, he must have been very friendless when he
left his money to a stranger."

"It's a queer turn up onyway. I juist hope it's a' richt. But I would
see it afore ye spend it. I wis readin' a bit in the papers the ither
day aboot a wumman who got word o' a fortune sent her, and went and