ise-hole, an' a red cinder aboon't!--if I hadna grippit it, it
might hae been a' in a lowe lang afore ye cam to look for't; an' Andrew
would only gotten a pouchfu o' aise to tak hame wi' him on Saturday
nicht, instead of a sark." Duncan was no eavesdropper; but his curiosity
was strongly excited by what he had heard, and he could neither go in
nor drag himself with sufficient speed from the door.

As Elspeth was concluding her ejaculations, the frightened damsel
returned, and was heard to say, in a suppressed tone--"O mither, dinna
be angry--I thought I saw Duncan Cowpet come past the window, an' I ran
to be out o' his gait. I canna bide him; his een's never off me the hail
day, an' mony a time I dinna ken whar to look."

"Hoot, lassie," rejoined her mother; "ye aye mak bogles o' windlestraes.
Duncan is an honest lad, I'll warrant him, an' willin to work, too,
though he's no very guid o't. But, for a' that, dinna think that I want
ye to draw up wi' him; for I wouldna hae ye to gie ony encouragement to
anither man on earth, as lang as Andrew Sharp pays mair respect to you
than the lave. But only tak my advice--neither rin awa when ye see
Duncan coming, nor seem to notice his attentions when he comes, and
he'll soon bestow them on some ither body."

"I'll rather cut my finger for an excuse to bide at hame, though, afore
I gang to the field when he's there," was Catherine's half-pettish
reply.

"Confound ye if ye do ony sic thing!" cried her mother: "though Sandy
pays the house-rent, noo, recollect the guidman can ill spare ony o' his
shearers when the weather is fair."

Duncan stood to hear no more; if he had formerly admired Catherine for
her beauty, he now respected her for the principles upon which she
acted, and he wished for an opportunity to convince her that he too
could act a disinterested part. On the following day, his conduct was
such as to free her mind from most of those disagreeable feelings which
hitherto she had entertained; and, when he repeated his visit in the
evening, though she again saw him pass the window, she did not run away.
After he was seated, he spoke of Andrew Sharp, and gratefully adverted
to his kindness in conducting him to Sunnybraes on an evening when few
would have cared for venturing abroad. Catherine's fears were now gone;
she felt as if she could have died to serve the man who spoke favourably
of her lover; and the conversation was kept up with the greatest
cordiality upon all s