d giving utterance to such ejaculations
as "Losh me!" and "Saw ever onybody the likes o' that?" now took
the black stone in her hand, and having pondered over it for a
while, said, holding up her finger to me:

"Laddie, take care of this peerie {ii} thing. It will be of
more worth to thee than all the other gear together."

I did not quite understand. The gold ring, I thought, could not
surely be worth more than that heap of silver. And yet Grace was so
serious in what she said that I could scarcely doubt her word.

I was about to ask her for an explanation when we were interrupted
by the lifting of the latch of the door, and a rush of cold air
made the lamp light flicker.

Chapter XI. My Sister Jessie.

We all turned to the door to see the cause of this interruption. It
was my sister Jessie who entered, and paused on the threshold as
she observed the presence of a stranger. She wore no covering on
her head, and her brown hair fell in natural curls on her shoulders
and about her neck.

Captain Gordon rose politely and stood with his hands clasping the
back of his chair. Jessie raised her large dark eyes towards him
for a moment and looked confused.

I think this was the first time in my life that I felt conscious
that my sister was more beautiful than any other Orkney girl I
knew, with the one exception of Thora Kinlay. She was at that time
nineteen years of age; she was tall and graceful, and very easy in
her movements. It is true she had no accomplishments, such as those
of Bailie Duke's daughters; but her education in Mr. Drever's
school had been sound, and she could keep house as well as any
fisherman's wife in Orkney, and row a boat as well as any lad.

"Was it Halcro ye were seeking, Jessie?" asked old Grace, as though
my sister's presence there was a matter of as little concern to her
as the presence of the old German clock in the corner of the room.

"Yea," said Jessie. "His dog came home without him, and we were
feared he had gone ower the cliffs, or that some other mischance
had happened him.

"Where have ye been, Halcro, so late as ye are? You should have
been in your bed lang syne."

As I went to the nail for my cap, the dominie introduced Captain
Gordon to Jessie. She greeted the sailor without ceremony--for in
Orkney we are not demonstrative in this particular. But the officer
held out his hand, and she took it with evident confusion. I think
she could not have failed to notice the dif