"'I'm glad tae hear the Miss is comin' roond fine,' says I.

"'It's the fouk o' Drumtochty hes made her weel. God bless you, foryou hev done good for evil,' and wi' that he was aff afore I cudfin' a word.

"He's changed, the body, some wy or ither, and there's a kind o'warmth aboot him ye canna get ower."

Next day I turned into Mrs. Macfadyen's cottage for a cup of tea andthe smack of that wise woman's conversation, but was not able topass the inner door for the sight which met my eyes.

Lachlan was sitting on a chair in the middle of the kitchen withElsie, Mrs. Macfadyen's pet kid, on his knee, and their heads soclose together that his black hair was mingling with her burnishedgold. An odour of peppermint floated out at the door, and Elsie wasexplaining to Lachlan, for his guidance at the shop, that the rounddrops were a better bargain than the black and black rock.

When Lachlan had departed, with gracious words on his lips and avery sticky imprint on his right cheek, I settled down in the hugechair, beyond the power of speech, and Mrs. Macfadyen opened themystery.

"Ye may weel look, for twa fortnight syne I wudna hae believed this day,though a' hed seen him wi' ma ain een.