"Pink and crimson and yellow roses thou may wear yet. Because white roses go best with violet I put that colour in thy cap for tonight. Think of what my aunt said when thou complained to her of growing old, 'Rahal, the mother of twelve sons and daughters is always young.' Now I will run away, for my father does everything quickly." In about ten or fifteen minutes, Rahal Ragnor heard him coming. Then she stood up and watched the swift throwing open of the door, and the entrance of her husband. With a cry of pleasure she clapped her hands and said joyfully: "Oh, Coll! Oh, my dear Coll!" and the next moment Coll kissed her. "Thou hast made thyself so handsome--just to please me!" "Yes, for thee! Who else is there? Do I please thee now?" "Always thou pleases me! But tonight, I have fallen in love with thee over again!" "And yet Thora wanted me to wear my kirk suit," and he walked to the glass and looked with great satisfaction at himself. "I think this suit is more becoming." "My dear Coll, thou art right. A good blue flannel suit is a man's natural garment. To everyone, rich and poor, it is becoming. If thou always dressed as thou art now dressed, I should never have the heart or spirit to contradict thee. Thou could have thy own way, year in and year out." "Is that the truth, my dear Rahal? Or is it a compliment?" "It is the very truth, dear one!" "From this hour, then, I will dress to thy wish and pleasure." She stepped quickly to his side and whispered: "In that case, there will not be in all Scotland a more distinguished and proper man than Conall Ragnor!" And in a large degree Conall Ragnor was worthy of all the fine things his wife said to him. The new clothes fell gracefully over his grand figure; he stepped out freely in the light easy shoes he was wearing; there was not a single thing stiff or tight or uncomfortable about him. Even his shirt collar fell softly round his throat, and the bright crimson necktie passed under it was unrestrained by anything but a handsome pin, which left his throat bare and gave the scarf permission to hang as loosely as a sailor's. At length Rahal said, "I see that Boris and the ship are safely home again." "Ship and cargo safe in port, and every man on board well and hearty. On the stroke of six he will be here. He said so, and Boris keeps his word. I hear the sound of talking and laughing. Let us go to meet them." They came in a merry company, Boris, with Sunna Vedder on his arm leading them. They came joyously; singing, laughing, chattering, making all the noise that youth seems to think is essential to pleasure. However, I shall not describe this evening. A dinner-dance is pretty much alike in all civilized and semi-civilized communities. It will really be more descriptive to indicate a few aspects in which this function of amusement differed from one of the same kind given last night in a fashionable home or hotel in New York.