uda in the grey
frock and large felt hat she had sent him.

She ran upstairs directly, and washed away all traces of her tears,
and put on a cap, which being just taken out of the drawer was cleaner,
theoretically, than the one she had on, and came down to him.

He seized both her hands and kissed them, and a tear fell upon them. She
turned her head away at that to hide her own which started.

"My sweet Margaret," he cried, "why is this? Why hold you aloof from
your own good deed? we have been waiting for you every day, and no
Margaret."

"You said things."

"What! when I was a hermit, and a donkey."

"Ay! no matter, you said things. And you had no reason."

"Forget all I said there. Who hearkens the ravings of a maniac? for I
see now that in a few months more I should have been a gibbering idiot;
yet no mortal could have persuaded me away but you. Oh what an outlay of
wit and goodness was yours! But it is not here I can thank and bless
you as I ought. No, it is in the home you have given me, among the sheep
whose shepherd you have made me; already I love them dearly; there it
is I must thank 'the truest friend ever man had.' So now I say to you as
erst you said to me, come to Gouda manse."

"Humph! we will see about that."

"Why, Margaret, think you I had ever kept the dear child so long, but
that I made sure you would be back to him from day to day? Oh he curls
round my very heartstrings, but what is my title to him compared to
thine? Confess now, thou hast had hard thoughts of me for this."

"Nay, nay, not I. Ah! thou art thyself again; wast ever thoughtful of
others. I have half a mind to go to Gouda manse, for your saying that."

"Come then, with half thy mind, 'tis worth the whole of other folk's."

"Well, I dare say I will; but there is no such mighty hurry," said she
coolly (she was literally burning to go). "Tell me first how you agree
with your folk."

"Why, already my poor have taken root in my heart."

"I thought as much."

"And there are such good creatures among them; simple and rough, and
superstitious, but wonderfully good."

"Oh I leave you alone for seeing a grain of good among a bushel of ill."

"Whisht! whisht! And Margaret, two of them have been ill friends for
four years, and came to the manse each to get on my blind side. But give
the glory to God I got on their bright side, and made them friends, and
laugh at themselves for their folly."

"But are you in very deed their vica