"Not while thou remains unmarried. Few women would care to look after thy welfare. I am used to it, long before thou had been short-coated, I had to walk thee to sleep in my arms." "Yes," laughed Sunna, "I remember that. I felt myself safest with thee." "Thou remembers nothing of the kind. At six months old, thou could neither compare nor remember." "But thou art mistaken. I was born with perfect senses. Ere I was twenty-four hours old, I had selected thee as the most suitable person to walk me to sleep. I think that was a proof of my perfect intelligence. One thing more, and then I will let thee read. I am going to marry Boris Ragnor, and then the widow Brodie would--take charge of thee." She shut the door to these words and Adam heard her laughing all the way to her own room. Then he rubbed his hand slowly over and over his mouth and said to himself--"She shall have her say-so; Boris is the only man on the Islands who can manage her." After the departure of the Vedders, Rahal and her sister Brodie went upstairs, taking Thora with them. She went cheerfully though a little reluctantly. She liked to hear Ian talk. She had thought of asking him to sing; but she was satisfied with the one straight, long look which flashed between them, as Ian bid her "good night"; for-- He looked at her as a lover can; She looked at him as one who awakes, The past was a sleep and her life began. Then she went to her room, and thought of Ian until she fell asleep and dreamed of him. For nearly two hours Ian remained with Conall Ragnor. The Railway Mania was then at its height in England, and the older man was delighted with Ian's daring stories of its mad excitement. Ian had seen and talked with Hudson, the draper's clerk, who had just purchased a fine ducal residence and estate from the results of his reckless speculations. Ian knew all the Scotch lines, he had even full faith in the _Caledonian_ when it was first proposed and could hardly win any attention. "Every one said a railway between England and Scotland would not pay, Mr. Ragnor," said Ian. "I would have said very different," replied Conall. "It would be certain to pay. Why not?" "Because there would be _no returns_," laughed Ian, and then Conall laughed also, and wished that Boris had been there to learn whatever Ian might teach him. "Hast thou speculated in railway stock yet," he asked. "No, sir. I have not had the money to do so." "How would thou buy if thou had?" "I would buy when no one else was buying, and when everyone else was buying, I would keep cool, and sell. A very old and clever speculator gave me that advice as a steady rule, saying it was 'his only guide.'"