and I'll bide still and
think about it all."

But the visit to the manse was not so satisfactory as usual. There were
other people there, and though John had a few minutes alone with Mr
Hume in the study, there was no time to enter fully into the matter
which he had at heart, and on which, he sincerely believed, he wished
for the minister's opinion and counsel, and so he said nothing about it.

Robin went down-stairs with him, and while he was making ready the
lantern to light the way to an outhouse, where Davie had a puppy which
his friend must see, John stood waiting by the kitchen-door. In her
accustomed corner sat Allison, spinning in the light of the lamp which
hung high above her head. She raised her eyes and smiled when John came
in, but she gave no other answer to his greeting, and went on with her
spinning, apparently quite unconscious of his presence. As for him, he
found nothing to say to her, though the lighting of the lantern seemed
to take a good while. To himself he was saying:

"I am glad I came. Of course I knew it was but a fancy and utterly
foolish, and that: it would pass away. But it is well to know it. Yes,
I'm glad I came in."

Could this be the stately maiden he had seen smiling in the sunshine on
the hill, with wee Marjorie in her arms? There she sat in the shadow,
with the accustomed gloom on her face, wearing the disguise of the big
mutch with the set-up borders, tied with tape under the chin. An apron,
checked in blue and white, held with its strings the striped, short gown
close over the scanty petticoat of blue. John wondered whether her
thoughts ever wandered away from the thread she was drawing from the
head of flax so silently.

"A decent, dull servant-lass, strong and wholesome, invaluable doubtless
in her place, but just like any other lass of her kind." That is what
he said, and then he added:

"She has bonny een." Ay, wonderful soft een, with a world of sorrow and
sweetness in them; and he waited with impatience till she should lift
them to meet his again. But she did not. And though he let the lads
pass out before him, and turned at the door to look back, there she sat,
busy with her thread and her own thoughts, with never a thought of him.

"A good lass," he repeated as he followed the lads; but he could not
quite ignore the sense of discomfiture that was on him, as he went down
the lane with Robin at his side. He had enough to say to Robin. He had
somethin