I am
Christine."

"Of course! I know that. You are exactly the Christine I have dreamed
about," and she lifted up her small face, and Christine kissed her,
before she was aware. It was the most extraordinary thing, and
Christine blushed and burned, but yet was strangely pleased and
satisfied.

"Can I stay with you till four this afternoon, Christine? I want to
very much."

"You will be mair than welcome. Mither will be beside hersel' wi' the
visit. Is Neil wi' you?"

"No. I have come of my own wish and will. Neil is in London. Let me
speak to the man who drove me here, and then I will tell you how it
is."

She left the house for a few minutes, and came back with a beaming
face, and a parcel in her hand. "Suppose, Christine," she said, "you
show me where I can take off my bonnet and cloak and furs." So
Christine went with her to the best bedroom, and she cried out at the
beauty of its view, and looked round at the books and papers, and the
snow-white bed, and was wonder struck at the great tropic sea shell,
hanging before the south window; for its wide rose-pink cavity was
holding a fine plant of musk-flower, and its hanging sprays of bloom,
and heavenly scent, enthralled her.

"What a charming room!" she cried. "One could dream of heaven in it."

"Do you dream, Roberta?"

"Every night."

"Do you like to dream?"

"I would not like to go to bed, and not dream."

"I am glad you feel that way. Some people cannot dream."

"Poor things! Neil could not understand me about dreaming. Nor could I
explain it to him."

"Lawyers don't dream. I have heard that. I suppose the folk in the
other warld canna fash themselves wi' the quarreling o' this warld."

Roberta was untying the parcel containing the furs, as Christine
spoke, and her answer was to put the long boa of sable around
Christine's neck and place the muff in her right hand. Now, good fur
suits everyone--man or woman--and Christine was regally transformed by
it.

"Eh, Roberta!" she cried. "What bonnie furs! I never saw the like o'
them! Never!"

"But now they are yours!"

"You dinna--you canna mean, that you gie them to me, Roberta?"

"I surely do mean just that. I give them to you with all my heart and
you look like a Norse princess in them. Come, give me a kiss for the
boa, and a kiss for the muff, and we will call the gift square."

Then Roberta kissed Christine and they laughed a sweet, gay little
laugh together. And Christine said, "I hae alw