back, will you?"

I crept all over when I thought of such a thing.

"We'll do all we can to make you happy at West Inch," said I, playing
with the whip.

"I'm sure it's very kind of you to take a poor lonely girl in," said
she.

"It's very kind of you to come, Cousin Edie," I stammered. "You'll find
it very dull, I fear."

"I suppose it is a little quiet, Jack, eh? Not many men about, as I
remember it."

"There is Major Elliott, up at Corriemuir. He comes down of an evening,
a real brave old soldier who had a ball in his knee under Wellington."

"Ah, when I speak of men. Jack, I don't mean old folk with balls in
their knees. I meant people of our own age that we could make friends
of. By the way, that crabbed old doctor had a son, had he not?"

"Oh yes, that's Jim Horscroft, my best friend."

"Is he at home?"

"No. He'll be home soon. He's still at Edinburgh studying."

"Ah! then we'll keep each other company until he comes, Jack. And I'm