'I hope ye'll like it,' he said, reluctantly withdrawing his hand
empty. 'Miss Tod canna hear us, can she?'

'Ye never can tell what a spinster'll hear when she's interested.
At present she's nourishin' hersel' on tea--her nineteenth cup for
the day; but she'll be comin' shortly to embrace ye an' shut the
shop. I micht as weel get on ma hat. . . . An' 'what did yer
parents say to ye?'

'They said ye was an awfu' nice, clever, bonny, handsome lassie----'

'Tit, tit! Aboot the enlistin', I meant. But I'll no ask ye that.
They wud be prood, onyway.'

'Ma uncle's raised ma wages, an' they're to be payed a' the time
I'm awa'.'

'Shakespeare! That's a proper uncle to ha'e! But dinna be tempted
to stop awa' till ye're a millionaire. Oh, here's Miss Tod. Keep
calm. She'll no bite ye.'

The little elderly woman who entered had made the acquaintance of
Macgregor in his early courting days, especially during the period
wherein he had squandered his substance in purchases of innumerable
and unnecessary lead pencils, etcetera, doubtless with a view to
acquiring merit in her eyes as well as in her assistant's.

She now proceeded to hold .his hand, patting it tenderly, while she
murmured 'brave lad' over and over again, to his exquisite