But though Tommy and Elspeth were her friends now, her mouth shut obstinately the moment they mentioned the Painted Lady; she regretted ever having given Tommy her confidence on that subject, and was determined not to do so again.
He did not dare tell her that he had once been at the east window of her home, but often he and Elspeth spoke to each other of that adventure, and sometimes they woke in their garret bed thinking they heard the horseman galloping by.

Then they crept closer to each other, and wondered whether Grizel was cosey in her bed or stalking an eerie figure in the Den.
Aaron said little, but he was drawn to the girl, who had not the self-consciousness of Tommy and Elspeth in his presence, and sometimes he slipped a penny into her hand.

The pennies were not spent, they were hoarded for the fair, or Muckle Friday, or Muckley, great day of the year in Thrums.

If you would know how Tommy was making ready for this mighty festival, listen.
One of his sources of income was the _Mentor_, a famous London weekly paper, which seemed to visitors to be taken in by every person of position in Thrums.

It was to be seen not only in parlors, but on the armchair at the Jute Bank, in the gauger's gig, in the Spittal factor's dog-cart, on a shoemaker's form, protruding from Dr.McQueen's tail pocket and from Mr.Duthie's oxter pocket, on Cathro's school-desk, in the Rev.Mr.Dishart's study, in half a dozen farms.