his hand, and a very
bonny posie it was. 'Here's a fine day, Diana,' says he. 'Yes, it is,'
says I.

So we said nae mair for some time; but he keepit walking by my side, and
at last he said--'What do ye think o' this posie?' 'It is very bonny,
James,' said I. 'I think sae,' quoth he; 'and if ye will accept it,
there should naebody be mair welcome to it.' 'Ou, I thank ye,' said I,
and I blushed in a way--'why should ye gie me it?' 'Never mind,' says
he, 'tak it for auld acquaintance sake--we were at the school together.'

So I took the flowers, and James keepit by my side, and cracked to me a'
the way to my mother's door, and I cracked to him--and I really wondered
that the road between Kimmerghame and Dunse had turned sae short. It
wasna half the length that it used to be, or what I thought it ought to
be.

But I often saw James Laidlaw after this; and somehow or other I aye met
him just as I was coming out o' the kirk, and weel do I recollect that,
one Sabbath in particular, he said to me--'Diana, will ye no come out
and tak a walk after ye get your dinner?' 'I dinna ken, James,' says
I; 'I doubt I daurna, for our folk are very particular, and baith my
faither and my mother are terribly against onything like gaun about
stravaigin on the Sundays.' 'Oh, they need never ken where ye're gaun,'
says he. 'Weel, I'll try,' says I, for by this time I had a sort o'
liking for James. 'Then,' said he, 'I'll be at the Penny Stane at four
o'clock.' 'Very weel,' quoth I.

And, although baith my faither and mother said to me, as I was gaun
out--'Where are ye gaun, lassie?'--'Oh, no very far,' said I; and, at
four o'clock, I met James at the Penny Stane. I shall never forget the
grip that he gied my hand when he took it in his, and said--

'Ye hae been as good as your word, Diana.'

We wandered awa doun by Wedderburn dyke, till we came to the Blackadder,
and then we sauntered down by the river side, till we were opposite
Kelloe--and, oh, it was a pleasant afternoon. Everything round about us,
aboon us, and among our feet, seemed to ken it was Sunday--everything
but James and me. The laverock was singing in the blue lift--the
blackbirds were whistling in the hedges--the mavis chaunted its loud
sang frae the bushes on the braes--the lennerts[D] were singing and
chirming among the whins--and the shelfa[E] absolutely seemed to follow
ye wi' its three notes over again, in order that ye might learn them.

[D] Linnets

[E] Cha