his motherless, undisciplined girl, whom she respected, like a true
Scot, because, although Kate had made her a friend, she was still a
Carnegie; whom she loved, because, although Kate might be very
provoking, she was honest to the core.

"To-day," Kate resumed, after a pause, and speaking with an unusual
nervousness, "I want your advice on a serious matter, which I must
decide, and which . . . concerns other people as well as myself. In
fact, I would like to ask a question," and she paused to frame her case.

It was a just testimony to Marget Howe that Kate never thought of
pledging her to secrecy, for there are people whom to suspect of
dishonour is a sin.

"Suppose that a man . . . loved a woman, and that he was honourable,
brave, gentle, true, in fact . . . a gentleman, and made her a proposal
of marriage."

Marget was looking before her with calm, attentive face, never once
glancing at Kate to supplement what was told.

"If . . . the girl accepted him, she would have a high position, and be
rich, so that she could . . . save her . . . family from ruin, and
keep . . . them in the house they loved."

Marget listened with earnest intelligence.

"She respects this man, and is grateful to him. She is certain that he
would be . . . kind to her, and give her everything she wanted. And
she thinks that he . . . would be happy."

Marget waited for the end.

"But she does not love him--that is all."

As the tale was being told in, brief, clear, slow sentences, Marget's
eyes became luminous, and her lips opened as one ready to speak from an
inner knowledge.

"Ye hev let me see a piece o' life, an' it is sacred, for naethin' on
earth is sae near God as luve, an' a 'll no deny that ma woman's heart
is wi' that honest gentleman, an' a' the mair gin he dinna win his
prize.

"But a man often comes tae his heicht through disappointment, and a
woman, she hes tae learn that there is that which she hes the richt tae
give for gratitude or friendship's sake, and that which can only be
bestowed by the hand o' luve.

"It will maybe help ye gin a' tell ye anither tale, an' though it be o'
humble life, yet oor hearts are the same in the castle and the cottar's
hoose, wi' the same cup o' sorrow tae drink an' the same croon o' joy
tae wear, an' the same dividin' o' roads for oor trial.

"There wes a man showed a wumman muckle kindness, and to her fouk also,
an' he wes simple an' honest, an' for what he hed done an' because