"The man whom fayther sold his fish to was a Campbell. And the woman I lodged wi' in Glasgow had a daughter married to a Campbell. And Mistress Lauder often sent me to Campbell's big store for silk and trimmings. And whiles, there was a minister preached in oor kirk, called Campbell--and there is yoursel', miss, the best o' them all to Maggie Promoter." "Thank you, Maggie." Not in the faintest way had Maggie betrayed her knowledge of Allan, and Mary respected her for the reticence very much. "Now for our work. I will sew, and you shall read aloud. I want you to learn how to talk as I do, and reading aloud is an excellent exercise." "I'll ne'er speak such high English as you, and I like my braid Scotch weel." "But your voice is so delightful when you say the words as you ought to. You can read 'high English,' why not talk it?" "My ain tongue is mair homelike and kindly. But I'll try yours, an' you want me to." After Mary had listened an hour, she suddenly interrupted Maggie. "You read that love scene with wonderful feeling. Had you ever a lover, Maggie?" "Maist girls have lovers. I couldna expect to escape. You will dootless hae lovers yoursel', ma'am?" "I had one lover, Maggie, not much of a lover, he wanted to marry Drumloch, not me." "That was a' wrang. Folks shouldna marry for gold. Sorrow comes that way." "You would not, I am sure'" "No, not for a' the gold in Scotland." "Is your lover poor then, Maggie?" "I ne'er asked him if he had this or that. He is a gude kind lad." "Did he ever give you any beautiful things--precious rings or lockets--as the lovers in books do? The Sir Everard of whom you have just been reading gave Lady Hilda a ring of diamonds and opals, you remember?" "The Fife lads break a sixpence in twa wi' their troth lass; and I hae my half sixpence. There can be no ring but a wedding ring for a lassie like me."