Malcolm

on that side with a second great promontory. The long curved strip of sand on the west, reaching to the promontory of Scaurnose, was the only open portion of the coast for mil

pect only from their desolation, for their form gave no effect

nd called conglomerate, which must have been separated from the roots of the promontory by the rush of waters at unusually high tides, for in winter they still sometimes rounded the rock, and running down behind the dune, turned it into a long island. The sand on the inland side of the dune, co

e back of the dune, singing. On his left hand the ground rose to the high road; on his right was the dune, interlaced and bound together by the long clasping roots of the coarse bent, without which its sands would have been but the sport of every wind that blew. It shut out from him all sight of the sea, but the moan and rush of the rising tide sounded close behind it. At his back rose the town of Portlossie, high above the h

s walked slowly, and never but on dire compulsion ran. He was rather tall, and large limbed. His dress was like that of a fisherman, consisting of blue serge trowsers, a sh

mplicity, or even innocence; while the clear outlook from his full and well opened hazel eyes indicated both courage and promptitude. His dark b

he sprang up the sloping side of the dune, seated himself on the gun, drew from his trowsers a large silver watch, regarded it steadily for a few minutes, replaced

e clear beryl depth in which swayed the seaweed clothing the slippery slopes of the rock. He rushed from the sandhill, crying, as he approached her, "Dinna be in a hurry, mem; bide till I come to ye," and running straight into the water struggled through the deepening tide, the distance being short and the depth almost too shallow for swimming. In a moment he was by her side, scarcely saw the bare feet she had been bathing in the water, heeded

, she could neither mistake it nor help being pleased with his kindness. Probably she had never before been immediately indebted to such an ill clad individual of the human race, but even in such a costume she could not f

stockin's,

o- rudely," answered the girl half querulously, but in such

ted off by the rising water, but he dashed in, swam a few strokes, caught them up, waded back to the shore, and, leaving a wet track all the way behind him but carrying the rescued clothing at arm's length before hi

ing one set of toes from under their tent, but

r turn of head

unwilling to forego what amusement she might gain from him, she drew in her half issui

away without thank

imply, standing stock still ag

't think I would go on dressin

turning a glowing face, looked at her for

ean by not thanking

, mem, that war thankit

u to carry me as

a' my hert. Will I g

uld you go o

nny to luik at stan'in', mem

ay ma'am

, than, mem?-I as

hat's how peopl

terrible bonny," he returned, with some tremulousness in his tone. "But ye maun put on y

of rank. It but added intensity to the notion of her being a lady,

u," she returned, "with your clot

"I gang weet to the skin mony a day frae mornin' till nicht, and mony a

o be accounted for, that here she put out a dainty foot, and reaching for one of her stockings, began to draw it gently over the said foot? Either her sense of his inferiority was such that she regarded his presence no more than that of a dog, or, possibly, she was tempted to put his behaviour to t

e simplicity, "that sma' fut o' yer ain has d

oined, and went on drawing the garment ove

uckle ower twe

she returned, l

ud!" he exclaimed, after a

art of the country?" she ask

e fisherfowks, excep' it be at a

id you

anced the maist o' the lass

de you s

k said I was ill aboot the bride; an' sa

they said?" she asked, with a sly glan

e till her for me. But she was the bonniest lassie we had.-It was what we ca'

's a penn

ts to gie them a bit o' a start like. Sae we a' gang to the weddin' an' eats an' drinks plenty, an' pays for a' 'at we hae; and they mak' a

ou to eat and drink?" as

aughing. "But it 's mair for the fun. I dinna care muckle about whusky a

ve musi

e fiddles an

ipes, do

an'father

Highlands here: how com

l eneuch, an' hae 't to wauk them ilka mornin'. Yon was my gran'father ye

n in that reckless way? Don't

intill 't but a pennyworth o' blastin' pooder. It wa

me out of my sma

ye. But, gien I had seen y

but I suppose you mean it was

hat, my

hy

marquis, is at Portlossie Hoose. Ye see it 's a royal brugh, this, an' it costs but aboot a penny, an' it 's gran' like to hae a sma' canno

ound of the word I should sup

has hardly breath eneuch to fill the bag; but he wad be efter dirkin' onybody 'at said sic a thing, and till he heard

of the youth as he stood in unconscious bewilderment before the self possession of the girl. She was younger than he, and knew far less that was worth knowing, yet had a world of advantage over him-not merely from the effect of her presence on one who had never seen anything half so beautiful, but from a certain readiness of surface thought, combined with the sweet polish of her speech, and an assurance of superiority which appeared to them both to lift her, like one of the old immortals, far above the level of the man whom she favoured with her passing converse. What in her words, as here presented only to the eye, may seem brusqueness or even forwardness, was so tempered, so toned, so fashioned by the naivete with wh

cupying the space of a brief silence, during which the

said the lady. "I wa

t with a clumsy movement which yet had in it a grace worthy of a Stuart cour

ts southern slope, she was still nowhere to be seen. The old highland stories of his grandfather came crowding to mind, and, altogether human as she had appeared, he almost doubted whether the sea, from which he had thought he rescued her, were not her native element. The book, however, not to ment

y have regarded her with a greater sense of far offness had he known her for the daughter of a king of the sea-one whose very element was essentially death to him as life to her. Still he walked home as if the heavy

to sing 'come doon' to me, I wad gang. Wad that be to lowse baith sowl an' body, I wonner? I'll see what Maister Graham says to that. It's a fine question to put