r old
rat-haunted room, her astonishment was doubled. For the holes in floor
and roof had been mended; the sky-light was as clean as glass a hundred
years old could be; a square of carpet lay in the middle of the floor;
and cheque-curtains adorned the bed. She concluded that these luxuries
had been procured for Mr Cupples, but could not understand how they
came to be left for her.

Nor did the consideration shown her decrease after the first novelty of
her return had worn off; and altogether the main sources of her former
discomfort had ceased to flow. The baby had become a sweet-tempered
little girl; Johnnie was at school all day; and Robert was a
comparatively well-behaved, though still sulky youth. He gave himself
great airs to his former companions, but to Annie he was condescending.
He was a good student, and had the use of _the room_ for a study.

Robert Bruce the elder had disclosed his projects to his heir, and he
had naturally declined all effort for their realization. But he began
at length to observe that Annie had grown very pretty; and then he
thought it would be a nice thing to fall in love with her, since, from
his parents' wishes to that end, she must have some money. Annie,
however, did not suspect anything, till, one day, she overheard the
elder say to the younger,

"Ye dinna push, man. Gang benn to the chop and get a cnottie o' reid
candy-sugar, and gie her that the neist time ye see her her lane. The
likes o' her kens what that means. And gin she tak's 't frae ye, ye may
hae the run o' the drawer. It's worth while, ye ken. Them 'at winna saw
winna reap."

From that moment she was on her guard. Nor did she give the youth a
chance of putting his father's advice into operation.

Meantime Alec got better and better, went out with Mr Cupples in the
gig, ate like an ogre, drank like a hippopotamus, and was rapidly
recovering his former strength. As he grew better, his former grief did
draw nearer, but such was the freshness of his new life, that he seemed
to have died and risen again like Lazarus, leaving his sorrow behind
him in the grave, to be communed with only in those dim seasons when
ghosts walk.

One evening over their supper, he was opposing Mr Cupples's departure
for the twentieth time. At length the latter said:

"Alec, I'll bide wi' ye till the neist session upon ae condition."

"What is that, Mr Cupples?" said Mrs Forbes. "I shall be delighted to
know it."

"Ye see, mem, this young