"Twa or three things kept me, that I am not accountable for. I was on the way hame, when Batavius De Vries spoke to me." "He's back again, is he? Few words would do between you and him." "He brought me a letter from our lad in Boston; and I thought I would go into the King's Arms and read it." "You might have come hame." "I might; but I thought if there was any bad news folded in the paper, I would just leave it outside our hame." "There is naething wrang, then?" "It is an astonishment--the lad has sold all he had and gone to Scotland. When he can find a small estate that suits him, he thinks o' buying it, and becoming 'Semple o' that Ilk.' Alexander aye had a hankering after land." "He has the siller, I suppose; there is no land given awa in Scotland." "Alexander wasn't born yesterday. He has been sending siller to England ever since the first whisper o' these troubles. Ten years ago, he told me the Stamp Act riots spelt Revolution and maybe Independence; and that in such case the best we could hope for would be a dozen or mair states, each with its ain rights and privileges and government; and a constant war between them. He is a far-seeing lad, is Alexander." "I think little o' his far sight. There are others who see further and clearer: petty states and constant war! Na, na! _It's not so written."_ "Perhaps he is right, Janet." "Perhaps is a wide word, Alexander. Perhaps he is wrang. Has he sailed yet? And pray, what is to become of the little Maria?" "He sailed a week since--and Maria is coming to us." "Coming to us! And what will we do wi' the lassie?" "We'll just hae to love and comfort her. In a way she has neither father nor mother--the one being in the grave and the other beyond seas. She may be a pleasure to our auld age; when she was here last she was a bonnie, lovesome little creature." "That is mair than eight years ago, and she was eight years old then; she'll be sixteen and a half, or, perhaps, nearer seventeen now--you ken weel what to expect from lassies o' that indiscreet age; or, if you don't, you ought to." "I know she is our ain grandbairn and that we be to give her love and all that love calls for. She was the very image o' yoursel' Janet, and her father was much set up o'er the extraordinar likeness." "I thought she favored you, Alexander." "A little--a little, perhaps--but not enough to spoil her. If she has kept the Gordon beauty, she will be a' the mair welcome to me. I have aye had a strong prejudice in its favor;" and he leaned forward and took Madame's small brown hand, and then there was a look and a smile between the old lovers that made all words impotent and unnecessary. Such pauses are embarrassing; the lealest hearts must come back quickly to ordinary life, and as the Elder passed his cup for more tea, Madame asked: "What way is the lassie coming? By land or water?" "She is coming by land, with John Bradley and his daughter." "How's that?"