for I hae been
thinkin' lang to see ye. Sit ye doon.'

Betty rushed in, drying her hands on her apron. She had not heard him
enter.

'Eh losh!' she cried, and put her wet apron to her eyes. 'Sic a man as
ye're grown, Robert! A puir body like me maunna be speykin to ye noo.'

'There's nae odds in me, Betty,' returned Robert.

''Deed but there is. Ye're sax feet an' a hairy ower, I s' warran'.'

'I said there was nae odds i' me, Betty,' persisted Robert, laughing.

'I kenna what may be in ye,' retorted Betty; 'but there's an unco' odds
upo' ye.'

'Haud yer tongue, Betty,' said her mistress. 'Ye oucht to ken better nor
stan' jawin' wi' young men. Fess mair o' the creamy cakes.'

'Maybe Robert wad like a drappy o' parritch.'

'Onything, Betty,' said Robert. 'I'm at deith's door wi' hunger.'

'Rin, Betty, for the cakes. An' fess a loaf o' white breid; we canna
bide for the parritch.'

Robert fell to his breakfast, and while he ate--somewhat ravenously--he
told his grandmother the adventures of the night, and introduced the
question whether he might not ask Ericson to stay a few days with him.

'Ony frien' o' yours, laddie,' she replied, qualifying her words only
with the addition--'gin he be a frien'.--Whaur is he noo?'

'He's up at Miss Naper's.'

'Hoots! What for didna ye fess him in wi' ye?--Betty!'

'Na, na, grannie. The Napers are frien's o' his. We maunna interfere wi'
them. I'll gang up mysel' ance I hae had my brakfast.'

'Weel, weel, laddie. Eh! I'm blythe to see ye! Hae ye gotten ony prizes
noo?'

'Ay have I. I'm sorry they're nae baith o' them the first. But I hae the
first o' ane an' the third o' the ither.'

'I am pleased at that, Robert. Ye'll be a man some day gin ye haud frae
drink an' frae--frae leein'.'

'I never tellt a lee i' my life, grannie.'

'Na. I dinna think 'at ever ye did.--An' what's that crater Shargar
aboot?'

'Ow, jist gaein' to be a croon o' glory to ye, grannie. He vroucht like
a horse till Dr. Anderson took him by the han', an' sent him to the
schuil. An' he's gaein' to mak something o' 'im, or a' be dune. He's a
fine crater, Shargar.'

'He tuik a munelicht flittin' frae here,' rejoined the old lady, in a
tone of offence. 'He micht hae said gude day to me, I think.'

'Ye see he was feart at ye, grannie.'

'Feart at me, laddie! Wha ever was feart at me? I never feart onybody i'
my life.'

So little did the dear old lady know that she was a terror to her
neig