granny had gradually abandoned all the management of the house to
her, so that at twenty that young woman was a veritable Napoleon
of finance and capacity. Only old Richard Clelland of the
Boreland, grave and wise pillar of the kirk by law established,
still transacted her market business and banked her siller--being,
as he often said, proud to act as "doer" for so fair a principal.
So it happened that all the reins of government about this tiny
lairdship of one farm were in the strong and capable hands of a
girl of twenty.

And Meg Kissock was her true admirer and faithful slave--Winsome's
heavy hand, too, upon occasion; for all the men on the farm stood
in awe of Meg's prowess, and very especially of Meg's tongue. So
also the work fell mostly upon these two, and in less measure upon
a sister of Meg's, Jess Kissock, lately returned from England, a
young lady whom we have already met.

During the night and morning Winsome had studied with some
attention the Hebrew Bible, in which the name Allan Welsh
appeared, as well as the Latin Luther Commentary, and the Hebrew
Lexicon, on the first page of which the name of Ralph Peden was
written in the same neat print hand as in the note-book.

This was the second day of the blanket-washing, and Winsome,
having in her mind a presentiment that the proprietor of these
learned quartos would appear to claim his own, carried them down
to the bridge, where Meg and her sister were already deep in the
mysteries of frothing tubs and boiling pots. Winsome from the
broomy ridge could hear the shrill "giff-gaff" [give and take] of
their colloquy. She sat down under Ralph's very broom bush, and