s, and it was like one treading on air that I turned
homeward. As I thought that name of home, and recalled the image of that
figure awaiting me between four walls, my heart beat upon my bosom.

My troubles began with my return. She ran to greet me with an obvious
and affecting pleasure. She was clad, besides, entirely in the new
clothes that I had bought for her; looked in them beyond expression
well; and must walk about and drop me curtsies to display them and to be
admired. I am sure I did it with an ill grace, for I thought to have
choked upon the words.

"Well," she said, "if you will not be caring for my pretty clothes, see
what I have done with our two chambers." And she showed me the place all
very finely swept, and the fires glowing in the two chimneys.

I was glad of a chance to seem a little more severe than I quite felt.
"Catriona," said I, "I am very much displeased with you, and you must
never again lay a hand upon my room. One of us two must have the rule
while we are here together; it is most fit it should be I, who am both
the man and the elder; and I give you that for my command."

She dropped me one of her curtsies, which were extraordinary taking. "If
you will be cross," said she, "I must be making pretty manners at you,
Davie. I will be very obedient, as I should be when every stitch upon
all there is of me belongs to you. But you will not be very cross
either, because now I have not anyone else."

This struck me hard, and I made haste, in a kind of penitence, to blot
out all the good effect of my last speech. In this direction progress
was more easy, being down hill; she led me forward, smiling; at the
sight of her, in the brightness of the fire and with her pretty becks
and looks, my heart was altogether melted. We made our meal with
infinite mirth and tenderness; and the two seemed to be commingled into
one, so that our very laughter sounded like a kindness.

In the midst of which I awoke to better recollections, made a lame word
of excuse, and set myself boorishly to my studies. It was a substantial,
instructive book that I had bought, by the late Dr. Heineccius, in which
I was to do a great deal of reading these next days, and often very glad
that I had no one to question me of what I read. Methought she bit her
lip at me a little, and that cut me. Indeed, it left her wholly
solitary, the more as she was very little of a reader, and had never a
book. But what was I to do?

So the rest of