Annie had submitted to it all without question; and thus adorned, Mary introduced her again to the dining-room. Before Mrs Forbes had time to discover that she was shocked, she was captivated by the pale, patient face, and the longing blue eyes, that looked at her as if the child felt that she ought to have been her mother, but somehow they had missed each other. They gazed out of the shadows of the mass of dark brown wavy hair that fell to her waist, and there was no more any need for Alec to contradict Bruce's calumny. But Mrs Forbes was speedily recalled to a sense of propriety by observing that Alec too was staring at Annie with a mingling of amusement, admiration, and respect. "What have you been about, Mary?" she said, in a tone of attempted reproof. "You have made a perfect fright of the child. Take her away." When Annie was once more brought back, with her hair restored to its net, silent tears of mortification were still flowing down her cheeks.--When Annie cried, the tears always rose and flowed without any sound or convulsion. Rarely did she sob even.--This completed the conquest of Mrs Forbes's heart. She drew the little one to her, and kissed her, and Annie's tears instantly ceased to rise, while Mrs Forbes wiped away those still lingering on her face. Mary then went to get the tea, and Mrs Forbes having left the room for a moment to recover that self-possession, the loss of which is peculiarly objectionable to a Scotchwoman, Annie was left seated on a footstool before the bright fire, the shadows from which were now dancing about the darkening room, and Alec lay on the sofa looking at her. There was no great occasion for his lying on the sofa, but his mother desired it, and Alec had at present no particular objection. "I wadna like to be gran' fowk," mused Annie aloud, for getting that she was not alone. "We're no gran' fowk, Annie," said Alec. "Ay are ye," returned Annie, persistently. "Weel, what for wadna ye like it?" "Ye maun be aye feared for blaudin' things." "Mamma wad tell ye a different story," rejoined Alec laughing. "There's naething here to blaud (spoil)." Mrs Forbes returned. Tea was brought in. Annie comported herself like a lady, and, after tea, ran home with mingled feelings of pleasure and pain. For, notwithstanding her assertion that she would not like to be "gran' fowk," the kitchen fire, small and dull, the smelling shop, and her own dreary garret-room, did not seem more desirable from her peep into the warmth and comfort of the house at Howglen. Questioned as to what had delayed her return from school, she told the truth; that she had gone to ask after Alec Forbes, and that they had kept her to tea. "I tauld them that ye ran efter the loons!" said Bruce triumphantly. Then stung with the reflection that _he_ had not been asked to stay to tea, he added: "It's no for the likes o' you, Annie, to gang to gentlefowk's hooses, makin' free whaur ye're no wantit. Sae dinna lat me hear the like again."