'It is too heavy for you, _ma'am_, said Owen, emphasising the 'ma'am.'

He took the bucket from her, and carried it to the shed, where Gladys
dosed and fed her sick cow so very tenderly, that Owen was impelled to
say,--

'I wish I were that cow.'

'Oh, sir! she is but a poor, sick, witless animal.'

'But she has you to nurse and be kind to her; so I wish I were that
cow.'

'Sure, sir, I would be glad to nurse you if you were sick,'

'Would you, Gladys? Then I will be sick to-morrow.'

'I hope not, Mr Owen. Come, poor Mally. Drink it up.'

'Never mind, Mally, but attend to me. Will you not be so cold and stiff,
and respectful to me? I hate a girl who "sir's" me as if I were a lord,
and makes me curtseys, and never looks at me, and seems as if she hated
me--'

'Oh, no, indeed no, sir--'

'And lives all day long in the same house, and scarcely speaks to me.
You will drive me off to sea again, _ma'am_, if you don't take care.
Look into my face, and say why you hate me so!'

'I hate no one in the world, sir; much less any one of your name.'

Here the girl looked up from the poor cow who was licking her hand, and
round whose neck her arm was flung, into the face of the young man. Owen
put his hand on the arm that rested on the cow, and said earnestly,--

'Then treat me as your brother.'

'I have lost my brothers and sisters, and father and mother, and kith
and kin. I have seen them all die--all that ever loved me. Oh! Mr Owen!
you are too kind--too kind; but do not talk to me so, or it will break
my heart.'

Here was even more of Irish feeling than Owen either expected or
desired. But he took Gladys's hand in his, and, looking kindly from his
large honest dark eyes into hers, said,--

'Forgive me, Gladys, for making you think of your sorrows. But you know
my dear sister Netta is as good as lost to me, and I want some one who
will be like her, or at least, who will not be quite as cold as clay.'

'Gladys withdrew her eyes and her hand. There was even more than
brotherly warmth in that kind glance and winning manner.

'Thank you, sir, I will try; indeed I will,' said Gladys, as she took up
the bucket, and turned to leave the shed.

'Thank you, ma'am, you are very obliging, but you are not going to carry
my bucket.'

'Oh,' sir! if you please do not speak so to a poor servant girl like me.
I would rather not hear it.'

'You will not see, or hear, or believe what I do, and say and think all
day long; so