t, as she liked best, round by the lanes.

"She has gi'en warning. She was ay above the place," said Mrs Coats.

"Ye can hardly say the like of that, since she has filled the place
weel," said her friend.

"But I do say it. She goes her ways like ane that hasna been used with
doin' the bidding o' anither."

"She doesna need to be bidden. She kens her work, and she does it.
What would ye have?" said the weaver, who had stopped his loom to hear
through the open window what was to be said.

"That's true," said his wife; "but I ken what Mistress Coats means for
a' that."

"Ye may say that! It's easy seen, though no' just so easy shown. Is
she like the ither lassies o' the place? Who ever saw her bare feet?
It's hose and shoon out and in, summer and winter, with her."

"And for that matter who ever saw her bare arms, unless it was in her
ain kitchen, or in the milk-house? Even gaen to the well her sleeves
are put doon to her hands."

"I should like to ken the folk she belongs to."

"They're decent folk, if she's a specimen o' them. Ye needna be feared
about that," said the weaver.

"It's no' that _I'm_ feared, but ane would think that she was feared
herself. Never a word has passed her lips of where she came from or who
she belongs to."

"Never to the like o' you and me. But the minister's satisfied, and
Mrs Hume. And as to the folk she cam' o', we hae naething to do wi'
them."

"That may be; but when there is naething to be said, there's maistly
something to be hid."

"And when ye can put your hand on ane that hasna something to hide frae
the een o' her neebors, ye can set her to search out the secrets o' the
minister's lass. It winna be this day, nor the morn, that ye'll do that
same," said the weaver, raising his voice as he set his loom in motion
again.

"Eh, but your man is unco hard on the women," said Mrs Coats, with a
look which implied sympathy with the weaver's wife as well as
disapproval of the weaver. But her friend laughed.

"Oh! ay; he's a wee hard whiles on women in general, but he is easy
eneuch wi' me."

For some reason or other Allison had to wait a while before she saw Mrs
Esselmont, and she waited in the garden. There were not many flowers
left, but the grass was still green, and the skilful and untiring hands
of old Delvie had been at work on the place, removing all that was
unsightly, and putting in order all the rest; so that, as he said, "the
last look which his mis