l, weel, bantam. There's twa sides to maist obligations.--I'm
leebrarian."

The reader may remember that in his boyhood Alec was fond of the sea,
had rigged a flagstaff, and had built the _Bonnie Annie_. He was nearly
beside himself with delight, which continued unjarred until he heard
from his mother. She had too much good sense to make any opposition,
but she could not prevent her anticipations of loss and loneliness from
appearing. His mother's trouble quelled the exuberance of Alec's
spirits without altering his resolve. He would return to her in the
fall of the year, bringing with him what would ease her mind of half
its load.

There was no check at the examinations this session.

CHAPTER LXXXVII.

Mrs Forbes was greatly perplexed about Annie. She could not bear the
thought of turning her out; and besides she did not see where she was
to go, for she could not be in the house with young Bruce. On the other
hand, she had still the same dangerous sense of worldly duty as to the
prevention of a so-called unsuitable match, the chance of which was
more threatening than ever. For Annie had grown very lovely, and having
taken captive the affections of the mother, must put the heart of the
son in dire jeopardy. But Alec arrived two days before he was expected,
and delivered his mother from her perplexity by declaring that if Annie
were sent away he too would leave the house. He had seen through the
maternal precautions the last time he was at home, and talking with
Cupples about it, who secretly wished for no better luck than that Alec
should fall in love with Annie, had his feelings strengthened as to the
unkindness, if not injustice, of throwing her periodically into such a
dungeon as the society of the Bruces. So Annie remained where she was,
much, I must confess, to her inward content.

The youth and the maiden met every day--the youth unembarrassed, and
the maiden reserved and shy, even to the satisfaction of the mother.
But if Alec could have seen the loving thoughts which, like threads of
heavenly gold (for all the gold of heaven is invisible), wrought
themselves into the garments she made for him, I do not think _he_
could have helped falling in love with her, although most men, I fear,
would only have fallen the more in love with themselves, and cared the
less for her. But he did not see them, or hear the divine measures to
which her needle flew, as she laboured to arm him against the cold of
thos