and dress thyself. I am particular about my partners."

"Dress! What is wrong with my dress?"

"Everything! Not an article in it is worthy of thee and the
occasion."

"I tell thee, all is as it should be. I am not minded to change it in
any way."

"Yes; to please Thora, thou wilt make some changes. Do, my Father. I
love thee so! I am so proud of thy figure, and thou can show even Wolf
Baikie how he ought to dance."

"Well, then, just for thee--I will wash and put on fresh linen."

"And comb thy beautiful hair. If thou but wet it, then it curls so
that any girl would envy thee. And all the women would say that it was
from thee, Thora got her bright, brown, curly hair."

"To comb my hair? That is but a trifle. I will do it to please thee."

"And thou wilt wet it, to make it curl?"

"That I will do also--to please thee."

"Then, as we are to dance together, thou wilt put on thy fine white
socks, and thy Spanish leather shoes--the pair that have the bright
buckles on the instep. Yes, thou wilt do me that great favour."

"Thou art going too far; I will not do that."

"Not for thy daughter Thora?" and she laid her cheek against his
cheek, and whispered with a kiss, "Yes, thou wilt wear the buckled
shoes for Thora. They will look so pretty in the dance: and Wolf
Baikie cannot toss his head at thy boots, as he did at Aunt Brodie's
Christmas dinner."

"Did he do that thing?"

"I saw him, and I would not dance with him because of it."

"Thou did right. Thy Aunt Barbara----"

"Is my aunt, and thy eldest sister. All she does is square and
upright; what she says, it were well for the rest of the town to take
heed to. It would please Aunt if thou showed Wolf Baikie thou had
dancing shoes and also knew right well how to step in them."

"Well, then, thou shalt have thy way. I will wash, I will comb my
hair, I will put on clean linen and white socks and my buckled shoes.
That is all I will do! I will not change my suit--no, I will not!"

"Father!"

"Well, then, what call for 'Father' now?"

"I want thee to wear thy kirk suit."

"I will not! No, I will not! The flannel suit is good enough for any
man."

"Yes, if it were clean and sweet, and had no fish scales on it, and no
fish smell in it. And even here--at the very end of the world--thy
friend, the good Bishop, wears black broadcloth and all gentlemen copy
him. If Thora was thy sweetheart, instead of thy own dear daughter,
she would not dance with thee in