of these unruly cattle, and the best way would be never to
put a cavesson on me?"

Mrs. Butler had not the vaguest conception of what a caves-son meant,
but she said, "I'll not put that nor anything like it on you, Tony; and
I 'll just believe that the son of a loyal gentleman will do nothing to
dishonor a good name."

"That's right; there you've hit it, mother; now we understand each
other," cried he, boldly. "I'm to tell the doctor that we expect him and
Dolly to dine with us on Monday, ain't I?"

"Monday or Tuesday, or whenever Dolly is well enough to come."

"I was thinking that possibly Skeffy would arrive by Tuesday."

"So he might, Tony, and that would be nice company for him,--the doctor
and Dolly."

There was something positively comic in the expression of Tory's face as
he heard this speech, uttered in all the simplicity of good faith; but
he forbore to reply, and, throwing a plaid across his shoulders, gave
his habitual little nod of good-bye, and went out. It was a cold starlit
night,--far colder on the sea-shore than in the sheltered valleys
inland. Tony, however, took little heed of this; his thoughts were bent
upon whither he was going; while between times his mother's last words
would flash across him, and once he actually laughed aloud as he said,
"Nice company for Skeffy! Poor mother little knows what company he
keeps, and what fine folk he lives with."

The minister's cottage lay at the foot of a little hill, beside a small
stream or burn,--a lonesome spot enough, and more than usually dreary in
the winter season; but, as Tony drew nigh, he could make out the mellow
glow of a good fire as the gleam, stealing between the ill-closed
shutters, fell upon the gravel without. "I suppose," muttered Tony,
"she 's right glad to be at home again, humble as it is;" and then came
another, but not so pleasant thought, "But why did she come back so
suddenly? why did she take this long journey in such a season, and she
so weak and ill?" He had his own dark misgivings about this, but he had
not the courage to face them, even to himself; and now he crept up to
the window and looked in.

A good fire blazed on the hearth; and at one side of it, deep in his
old leather chair,--the one piece of luxury the room possessed,--the
minister lay fast asleep, while opposite to him, on a low stool, sat
Dolly, her head resting on the arm of a chair at her side. If her
closely cropped hair and thin, wan face gave her a loo