‘’Deed I wudna be nane surprised!’ returned David. ‘Whatever micht want in at her door, there’s naething inside to haud it oot. Eh, to think o’ Archie Gordon takin til himsel sic a wife! that a man like him, o’ guid report, and come to years o’ discretion--to think o’ brains like his turnin as fozy as an auld neep at sicht o’ a bonny front til an ae wa’ hoose (_a house of but one wall_)! It canna be ’at witchcraft’s clean dune awa wi’!’ ‘Bonny, Dauvid! Ca’d ye the mistress bonny?’ ‘She used to be--bonny, that is, as a button or a buckle micht be bonny. What she may be the noo, I dinna ken, for I haena set e’e upon her sin’ she cam to the Knowe orderin me to sen’ back Francie’s powny: she was suppercilly eneuch than for twa cornels and a corporal, but no ill luikin. Gien she hae a spot o’ beaouty left, the drink ’ll tak it or it hae dune wi’ her!’ ‘Or she hae dune wi’ hit, Dauvid! It’s ta’en ae colour frae her a’ready, and begud to gie her anither! But it concerns me mair aboot Francie nor my leddy: what’s to come o’ him when a’s gane? what’ll there be for him to come intil?’ Gladly would David have interfered, but he was helpless; he had no legal guardianship over or for the boy! Nothing could be done till he was a man!--‘gien ever he be a man!’ said David to himself with a sigh, and he thought how much better off he was with his half-witted Steenie than his friend with his clever Francie. Mrs. Bremner was sister-in-law to the schoolmaster, and was then on her way to see him and his daughter Phemy. From childhood the girl had been in the way of going to the castle to see her aunt, and so was well known about the place. Being an engaging child, she had become not only welcome to the servants but something of a favourite with the mistress, whom she amused with her little airs, and pleased with her winning manners. She was now about fourteen, a half-blown beauty of the red and white, gold and blue kind. She had long been a vain little thing, approving of her own looks in the glass, and taking much interest in setting them off, but so simple as to make no attempt at concealing her self-satisfaction. Her pleased contemplation of this or that portion of her person, and the frantic attempts she was sometimes espied making to get a sight of her back, especially when she wore a new frock, were indeed more amusing than hopeful, but her vanity was not yet so pronounced as to overshadow her better qualities, and Kirsty had not thought it well to take notice of it, although, being more than anyone else a mother to her, she was already a little anxious on the score of it, and the rather that her aunt, like her father, neither saw nor imagined fault in her.