As to my mother, it was wonderful the way she softened to him, and in half-an-hour she had told him all about her uncle, who was a surgeon in Carlisle, and the highest of any upon her side of the house.

She spoke to him about my brother Rob's death, which I had never heard her mention to a soul before, and he looked as if the tears were in his eyes over it--he, who had just told us how he had seen three thousand men starved to death! As to Edie, she did not say much, but she kept shooting little glances at our visitor, and once or twice he looked very hard at her.
When he had gone to his room after breakfast, my father pulled out eight golden pounds and laid them on the table.

"What think ye of that, Martha ?" said he.
"You've sold the twa black tups after all." "No, but it's a month's pay for board and lodging from Jock's friend, and as much to come every four weeks." But my mother shook her head when she heard it.
"Two pounds a week is over much," said she; "and it is not when the poor gentleman is in distress that we should put such a price on his bit food." "Tut!" cried my father, "he can very well afford it, and he with a bag full of gold.

Besides, it's his own proposing." "No blessing will come from that money," said she.
"Why, woman, he's turned your head wi' his foreign ways of speech!" cried my father.
"Aye, and it would be a good thing if Scottish men had a little more of that kindly way," she said, and that was the first time in all my life that I had heard her answer him back.
He came down soon and asked me whether I would come out with him.
When we were in the sunshine he held out a little cross made of red stones, one of the bonniest things that ever I had set eyes upon.
"These are rubies," said he, "and I got it at Tudela, in Spain.
There were two of them, but I gave the other to a Lithuanian girl.
I pray that you will take this as a memory of your exceedingly kindness to me yesterday.

It will fashion into a pin for your cravat." I could but thank him for the present, which was of more value than anything I had ever owned in my life.
"I am off to the upper muir to count the lambs," said I; "maybe you would care to come up with me and see something of the country ?" He hesitated for a moment, and then he shook his head.
"I have some letters," he said, "which I ought to write as soon as possible.