acquaintance between her and the new tutor might evolve; but he got
rid of all the difficulty, as far as he was concerned, by saying at
last:

"What richt hae I to interfere? even supposin' I wanted to
interfere. But I can lippen weel to my bonny doo; an' for the rest,
she maun tak' her chance like the lave o's. An' wha' kens but it
micht jist be stan'in' afore Him, i' the very get that He meant to
gang. The Lord forgie me for speakin' o' chance, as gin I believed
in ony sic havers. There's no fear o' the lassie. Gude mornin'
t'ye, Maister Sutherlan'. That's a braw beuk o' ballants ye gae the
len' o' to my Maggy, this mornin', sir."

Sutherland was just entering a side-door of the house when David
accosted him. He was not old enough to keep from blushing at
David's words; but, having a good conscience, he was ready with a
good answer.

"It's a good book, Mr. Elginbrod. It will do her no harm, though it
be ballads."

"I'm in no dreed o' that, sir. Bairns maun hae ballants. An', to
tell the truth, sir, I'm no muckle mair nor a bairn in that respeck
mysel'. In fac, this verra mornin', at the beuk, I jist thocht I
was readin' a gran' godly ballant, an' it soundet nane the waur for
the notion o't."

"You should have been a poet yourself, Mr. Elginbrod."

"Na, na; I ken naething aboot yer poetry. I hae read auld John