you've
brought, my dear? Ah! by the shining of your bonny eyes one can see that
plain. Light up, Aleck! Light up! How can we have such darkness when the
bairn is safe back? And begging pardon, lassie, who is this yon?"

Jessica presented her friend and added, quickly:

"Only for him I could never have done that business, Janet, Aleck. And
it is done. Everybody----"

"All the countryside knows it already, Jessica Trent. It's ringing with
it, as it rung with the story of a wave little lass who set out alone
and unfriended, save for one old man, to clear her father's memory of a
stain some ne'er-do-well had dared to splash it with; and how the old
man broke his leg and lost the bairn; and, losing, she fell into wiser
hands and all, and all. Why, the 'boys' are here long before sun up;
hours before mailtime, to get the latest news. Ah! it's proud is all
this land because of you, my wee bit bairnie!"

Again was Jessica caught and kissed till her breath was gone; but
released she demanded, and with disappointment in her tone:

"So the news is no news, and does my mother, too, know all?"

"Hasn't the sweet lady read the papers that the 'boys' have carried,
loping to break their necks! Ah, lassie, 'twill be an ovation you'll
get when once they sight your bonny head shining on the sandy branch
road!"

Jessica turned toward Ninian Sharp with the first feeling of anger she
had ever had toward him.

"The papers? Your _Lancet_, I suppose. But you knew, you knew how much
I wanted to surprise my mother."

"Even so. But could you expect a man to keep back such fine 'copy'
from his office? If you did, or if I could, somebody else, like _The
Gossip_, would have got ahead of us. It was public property, my little
Lady, and private interests, or fancies, always yield to the great
public. We'll discuss this further to-morrow. To-night I'd like to
see the bed you promised."

Jessica caught the hand of her weary friend and begged:

"Forgive me. I forgot. And I suppose that the very feeling which made
you so kind and faithful to us, strangers, made you faithful to--to that
horrid old _Lancet_, too. Now Janet, you are to give Mr. Sharp your very
nicest bed and breakfast, for he is tired and suffering."

"'Tis ready this instant. 'Tis always ready, lassie, though few come
nowadays, to use it. This way, sir. After I show him I'll come for you,
Lady Jess."

Jessica had not overpraised the neatness and comfort of this
out-of-the-way