d been living of late.

But in a little while she grew shy and uncomfortable, and conscious of
her bare feet, and moved away. Clifton noticed the change, and said to
himself that she was thinking of the mortgage, and of "those avaricious
Holts."

"Your grandfather did not go to meeting, either," said Ben, anxious to
set himself right in Katie's eyes. "We saw him turning the corner as we
went down to the river."

"Grandfather!" repeated Katie. "I wonder why?"

"I suppose it was because Jacob was going to read the sermon," said Ben,
reddening, and looking at his cousin.

Katie reddened too and turned to go.

"Grandfather must be home, then, Davie; it's time to go in," and Kate
looked grave and troubled.

"Davie," repeated she, "it's time to come home."

Davie followed her a step or two, and they heard him saying:

"There's no hurry, Katie; if my grandfather didna go to the kirk, he'll
be holding a meeting all by himself in Pine-tree Hollow, and he'll not
be at the house this while, and I want to speak to Ben."

"Davie," said his sister, "mind it's the Sabbath-day."

The chances were against his minding it very long. It was a good while
before he followed his sister to the house, and he brought the Holts
with him to share their dinners of bread and milk.

"We're all going to the meeting together, grannie," said he, "and Kate,"
he added in a whisper, "Clif Holt has promised to lend me the book that
the master gave you a sight of the other day, and I am to keep it as
long as I like; and he's not so proud as you would think from his fine
clothes and his fine manners; but he couldna tell me the
seven-and-twentieth, more shame to him, and him at the college."

"He thinks much of himself," said Katie, "for all that."

The little Flemings and their mother and the two Holts went to the Scott
school-house, as had been proposed, and the house was left to Mrs
Fleming as a general thing. This "remarkable old lady," as the Gershom
people had got into the way of calling her to strangers, greatly enjoyed
the rare hours of rest and quiet that came at long intervals in her busy
life, but she did not enjoy them to-day. Her Bible lay open upon the
table, and "Fourfold State" and her "Solitude Sweetened" were within
reach of her hand, but she could not settle to read either of them. She
wandered from the door to the gate and back again in a restless, anxious
way, that made her indignant with herself at last.

"As gin