"Oh, yes, Mamie," said Käthchen; "Broussa silks—Lindos plates—a series of etchings——" But here was the landlord, a rather youngish and shortish man, who seemed depressed and dismal, and also a little apprehensive. "Well, Peter," said Mr. Purdie, in his merry way, "what are ye frightened for? Ye’ve got a face as if ye’d murdered somebody. We’re not going to raise your rent." "It would be little use that—for I could not pay it," said the sad-looking young man with the cadaverous grey face and grey eyes. "Won’t you take a seat?" said Miss Stanley, interposing. "I have a proposal to make to you." Peter Grant did not answer: he remained standing, stolidly and in silence. "It seems to me," she went on, "that something should be done to bring visitors here in the spring, as well as the few that come through this way in the autumn. It would be a benefit all round—to the inn, and to the gillies who would be required, I mean for the salmon-fishing in the Garra. Now I don’t particularly want the salmon-fishing in the spring months; and it seems to me if you were enterprising you would rent it from me, and advertise it, and let it to two or three gentlemen, who would come and live in your house, and give you a good profit. Do you see?" He answered not a word; he kept his eyes mostly fixed on the carpet; so she continued— "Gentlemen will go very far for salmon-fishing now-a-days, so I am told; and you might give them quiet quarters here, and make them comfortable, and every year they would come back. And I should not be hard upon you in fixing the rent. Indeed, I would rather the proposal came from you. What do you think you could afford to give me for the spring fishing in the Garra?" "Oh, as for that," said the young landlord, rather uncivilly, "I do not see that there should be any rent. For the people about here were saying that no one has a right to the salmon more than anyone else." "Now you know you’re talking nonsense," said Mary, with decision. "For if everyone had a right to the salmon, in a fortnight’s time there would not be a single fish left in the river. And besides, do you forget that there is the law?" "Oh, yes, Peter knows there is the law," interposed Mr. Purdie, who seemed to be in a most facetious mood. "Not more than two months ago Peter found that out when the Sheriff at Dingwall fined him ten shillings and ten shillings expenses for having carried and used a gun without a license. There is quite sufficient of law in the land, as Peter has just found out." The young man’s eyes were filled with a sullen fire; but he said nothing.