infinitely larger and wider than his little world, and he took up his
duty at the point at which he had left it with something of this sense
of freedom lingering with him.

He was a good man--that is, a man whose face would have made it clear to
any true observer that he habitually did the right in contradistinction
to the wrong. He was, moreover, religious, and would not have been
likely to fall into any delusion of mere sentiment in the region of
religious emotion. But that which deludes a man commonly comes through a
safe channel. As a matter of fact, the excitement which the delight of
the eye had produced in him was a perfectly wholesome feeling, but the
largeness of heart it gave him at that moment was unfortunate.

The girl stood just as before, ungainly and without power of expression
because undeveloped, but excitation of thought made what she might
become apparent to him in that which she was. He became more generous
towards her, more loving.

"Don't greet, that's a good lassie," he said soothingly. "There's truth
in what ye have said--that it's dull for ye here because ye have nothing
to look ahead to. Well, I'll tell ye what I didn't mean to tell ye while
ye are so young--when ye're older, if ye're a good lassie and go on
learning your lessons as ye have been doing, I will ask ye to marry me,
and then (we hope of course to get more beforehand wi' money as years
go) ye will have more interest and--"

"Marry!" interrupted the girl, not strongly, but speaking in faint
wonder, as if echoing a word she did not quite understand.

"Yes," he went on with great kindliness, "I talked it over with your