418 The Little Minister

begun at once; but here she was, shaking my
hand and smiling to me, so that aye when I tried
to speak I gaed through ither. Nobody can
despise me for it, I tell you, mair than I despise
mysel’.

“I thocht to mysel’, ‘Let her hae her smile
out, Tammas Whamond; it’s her hinmost.’
Syne wi’ shame at my cowardliness, I tried
to yoke to my duty as chief elder o’ the kirk,
and I said to her, as thrawn’as I could speak,
‘Dinna thank me; I’ve done nothing for you.’

“«*T ken it wasna for me you did it,’ she said,
‘but for him; but, oh, Mr. Whamond, will that
make me think the less o’ you? He’s my all,’
she says, wi’ that smile back in her face, and a
look mixed up wi’t that said as plain, ‘and I need
no more.’ I thocht o’ saying that some builds
their house upon the sand, but — dagont, dominie,
it’s a solemn thing the pride mithers has in their
laddies. I mind aince my ain mither — what the
devil are you glowering at, Andrew Luke? Do
you think I’m greeting?

** You'll sit down, Mr. Whamond,’ she says
next.

“No, I winna,’ I said, angry-like. ‘I didna
come here to sit.’

“IT could see she thocht I was shy at being in
the manse parlour; ay, and I thocht she was
pleased at me looking shy. Weel, she took my
hat out o’ my hand, and she put it on the chair
at the door, whaur there’s aye an auld chair in
grand houses for the servant to sit on at family
exercise.

**You’re a man, Mr. Whamond,’ says she,