with the
thumb and forefinger of his right hand, as if they ached, while his
other arm went blowing away as if nothing was the matter but plenty of
wind for the forge-fire. Then he pulled out the red-hot _gad_, or iron
bar, which he seemed to have forgotten ever since Annie came in, and,
standing with his back to her to protect her from the sparks, put it on
his anvil, and began to lay on it, as if in a fury; while the sparks
flew from his blows as if in mortal terror of the angry man that was
pelting at the luminous glory laid thus submissive before him. In fact,
Peter was attempting to hammer out more things than one, upon that
_study_ of his; for in Scotland they call a smith's anvil a study, so
that he ranks with other artists in that respect. Then, as if anxious
to hear the child speak yet again, he said, putting the iron once more
in the fire, and proceeding to rouse the wrath of the coals:

"Ye kent Jeames Dow, than?"

"Ay; weel that. I kent Dooie as weel as Broonie."

"Wha was Broonie?"

"Ow! naebody but my ain coo."

"An' Jeames was kin' to ye?"

To this question no reply followed; but Peter, who stood looking at
her, saw her lips and the muscles of her face quivering an answer,
which if uttered at all, could come only in sobs and tears.

But the sound of approaching steps and voices restored her equanimity,
and a listening look gradually displaced the emotion on her
countenance. Over the half-door of the shop appeared two men, each
bearing on his shoulder the socks (shares) of two ploughs, to be
sharpened, or set. The instant she saw them she tumbled off her perch,
and before they had got the door opened was half way to it, crying,
"Dooie! Dooie!" Another instant and she was lifted high in Dowie's
arms.

"My little mistress!" exclaimed he, kissing her. "Hoo cam ye here?"

"I'm safe eneuch here, Dooie; dinna be fleyt. I'll tell ye a' aboot it.
Alec's in George Macwha's shop yonner."

"And wha's Alec?" asked Dowie.

Leaving them now to their private communications, I will relate, for
the sake of its result, what passed between James Dow's companion and
the smith.

"The last time," said the youth, "that ye set my sock, Peter Whaup, ye
turned it oot jist as saft's potty, and it wore oot raither suner."

"Hoot! man, ye mistak. It wasna the sock. It was the heid that cam'
ahin' 't, and kentna hoo to haud it aff o' the stanes."

"Ha! ha! ha! My heid's nae sae saft's yer ain. It's no rosten a' day
l