taken on the moor by Robin
Greenlaw.

"Where is Elspeth?"

"We are making our winter dresses. She would not leave her sewing."

The cousins walked upon the moor path together. Gilian was fairer and
more strongly made than Elspeth. They walked in silence; then said
Robin:

"You're the old Gilian, but I'm sure I miss the old Elspeth!"

"I think, myself, she's gone visiting! I rack and rack my brains to
find what grief could have come to Elspeth. She will not help me."

"Gilian, could it be that, after all, her heart is set on the laird?"

"Did you know about that?"

"In part I guessed, watching them together. And then I saw how
Glenfernie oldened in a night. Then, being with my uncle one day, he
let drop a word that I followed up. I led him on and he told me.
Glenfernie acted like a true man."

"If there's one thing of which I'm sure it is that she hardly thinks
of him from Sunday to Sunday. She thinks then for a little because she
sees him in kirk--but that passes, too!"

"Then what is it?"

"I don't know. I don't know of anybody else. Maybe no outer thing has
anything to do with it. Sometimes we just have drumlie, dreary seasons
and we do not know why.... She loves the spring. Maybe when spring
comes she'll be Elspeth once more!"

"I hope so," said Greenlaw. "Spring makes all the world bonny again."

That was in November. On Christmas Eve Elspeth Barrow drowned herself
in the Kelpie's Pool.

CHAPTER XVII

There had been three hours of light on Christmas Day when Robin
Greenlaw appeared at Glenfernie House and would see the laird.

"He's in his ain room in the keep," said Davie, and went with the
message.

Alexander came down the stair and out into the flagged court. The
weather had been unwontedly clement, melting the earlier snows,
letting the brown earth forth again for one look about her. To-day
there was pale sunlight. Greenlaw sat his big gray. The laird came to
him.

"Get down, man, and come in for Christmas cheer!"

"Send Davie away," said Greenlaw.

Alexander's gray eyes glanced. "You're bringing something that is not
Christmas cheer!--Davie, tell Dandie Saunderson to saddle Black Alan
at once.--Now, Robin!"

"Yesterday," said Greenlaw, "Elspeth Barrow vanished from White Farm.
They wanted to send Christmas fare to old Skene the cotter. She said
she would take a basket there, and so she went away, down the
stream--about ten of the morning they think it was. It was not for
ho