to be oot in!" and they rubbed themselves
against him and whinnied with a low pleased gurgle, grateful for his
kindness and company as he patted and stroked the soft velvet skins, and
they rubbed themselves against him as if each were jealous lest his
attentions be not equally divided.

He stood for a short time, thus fondling and patting them, then keeping
to the dyke, he made his way along it and he thus came out right at the
end of the village, and knowing his way now with confidence, he was soon
at the door of his home. Cautiously opening it, afraid he would awaken
the inmates, whom he concluded must all be asleep, he slipped in
quietly, bolting the door behind him, and reached the fire.

"Dear me, Rob," said his mother. "Where in the name o' goodness hae you
been the nicht! I sat up till after midnight aye expectin' you'd be in,
sae I gaed awa' to my bed to lie wauken till you should come in. You are
awfu' late."

He did not answer but stooped to take off his boots, and Mrs. Sinclair
was soon out of bed and upon the floor.

"Michty me, laddie! You are wringin' wet! Where have you been? Rain and
glaur to the e'en holes! Get thae wet claes off you at yince, an' I'll
get dry shirts for you, an' then awa' till your bed!" she rattled on,
running to the chest in the room and coming back with dry clothes in her
arms. "My, I never kent you oot o' the hoose as late as this in a' your
life! Have you been oot in a' that rain?"

"Ay," he answered, but venturing nothing more, as he went on changing.

"It's been an awfu' nicht o' wind and rain," she again observed,
glancing at his dripping clothes, and conveying a hint that explanations
were desirable.

"I canna understand at a' what way you hae bidden oot in a' that rain,
Lod's sake? It's enough to gie you your daeth o' cauld. You are wet to
the skin, an' there's no a dry steek on you? Hae you been oot in it a'?"
and her curiosity she felt was too crudely put to be answered.

Robert knew that she was bent on having an explanation, and that if he
gave her any encouragement at all she'd soon have the whole story out of
him.

"Yes," he said curtly, "but I'm no' gaun to talk ony the nicht. I'm gaun
to my bed for an oor before risin' time."

"You'll never gaun till your work the day," she said in warm concern.
"You'll never be able. You'd better tak' a rest, my laddie. A day will
no' mak' muckle difference noo. We're no sae ill aff, an' I wadna like
to hae onything gaun