'She maun hae a straucht e'e for a guid beast!' returned Kirsty, with a
second glance at the pony.

'He's a bonny cratur and a willin,' answered the youth. 'He'll gang
skelp throuw onything--watter onygait;--I'm no sae sure aboot fire.'

A long silence followed, broken this time by the youth.

'Winna ye gie me luik nor word, and me ridden like mad to hae a sicht
o' ye?' he said.

She glanced up at him.

'Weel ye hae that!' she answered, with a smile that showed her lovely
white teeth: 'ye're a' dubs (_all bemired_)! What for sud ye be in sic
a hurry? Ye saw me no three days gane!'

'Ay, I saw ye, it's true; but I didna get a word o' ye!'

'Ye was free to say what ye likit. There was nane by but my mither!'

'Wud ye hae me say a'thing afore yer mither jist as I wud til ye yer
lane (_alone_)?' he asked.

Ay wud I,' she returned. 'Syne she wad ken, 'ithoot my haein to tell
her sic a guse as ye was!'

Had he not seen the sunny smile that accompanied her words he might
well have taken offence.