e maist likely to keep a comfortable hame to my
ain bairn; and then, I confess, my thoughts turned upon your Jenny.
This made me look mair attentively at baith him and her than I had
ever done before; and twa or three times, when she cam owre to see how
I was, I thought I saw something like the first symptoms of affection
in his manner as weel as hers; and I felt glad at the sicht. But, as I
began to get a little better, and to be able to gang about again, the
things that had happened wi' my ain guidmither came fresh to my
memory, and I thought I would like to manage the house mysel, and do
for the best as lang as I was able. But I fear," she added, with a
deep sigh, "this complaint, whatever it is, will weather me afore it's
lang."

"Na, Margaret; I hope better things," said the other; "and ye maun
strive to hope for better things too. Though ye mayna be sae stout
through the winter, when the warm weather comes in ye'll gather
strength again; and, if ance ye had yer fit on a May gowan, ye'll be
as hale and hearty as the best o' us."

"It's lang to the month o' May," said Margaret, in a voice unwontedly
solemn; "and, afore that time come round, hundreds that are laughin
and makin muckle sport the nicht may be cauld in their graves. But
promise, if I'm taen awa, that ye'll do yer best to supply my place,
and to bring the twa thegither if ye can."

Nelly was really distressed to think that this gloomy presentiment had
taken such firm hold of her neighbour's mind; but, fancying that it
had been in some measure suggested by their former conversation, and
hoping that it would soon pass off, she promised to comply with her
wishes, and then urged her to rejoin the company within.

They accordingly went into the house, where they found the little
party--which, in their absence, consisted of only three--engaged in a
cheerful conversation. Freed at length from that embarrassment which
they had experienced while alone, the others soon recovered their
spirits and their freedom of speech. Margaret, however, could not so
easily recover her former cheerfulness. She strove, indeed, to appear
as merry as the rest; but her late indisposition, though only of a
momentary nature, seemed to have left an effect upon her spirits which
did not immediately pass away. There was also a something in the
fitfulness of her manner, and the expression of deep solemnity into
which her countenance frequently relapsed after a laugh, which told
too pl