I stayed all day at the cottage and she flitted around with her great white apron on, now and then calling me her bonny prince, especially if Tammas and Marget were not around. I humored her, seeing how much pleasure she took in it. "If I am your Prince," I said, when I had her alone in the butter room, "I am going to call you my Heart’s-Ease." She looked up quickly and a faint blush came into her face. She did not reply, but busied herself about the house, while Tammas and I talked of the new test of Lass o’ Lowrie, one of his cows, which, from five gallons of milk daily was making three pounds of butter. "Dae ye ken Mr. Jack, whit’s daeing it?" said the old man. "It’s nae ither than the auld Top Sawyer bluid!" Elsie, daintily gowned in a pretty white frock and for the first time with her hair up in a comical little Scotch top-knot, walked with me down the wooded path to the parting of our ways. A tiny heart’s-ease had just thrust out its fragrant leaves in the rich mold under the trees. She plucked the leaf, and there was the faintest trace of a twinkle in her blue eyes as she came up and pinned it on my lapel. "Here is your heart’s-ease, my Prince," she said slyly. I felt a flush upon my cheek. She was silent, and then she said slowly, "Do you know Mr. Jack—Jack, that I believe every prince at times has need of a heart’s-ease friend, and—and—well, maids need a prince to help them." I looked at her quickly. "I am your good Knight always if I can help you, Elsie." She flushed and turned her face aside that I might not see it. "And you won’t misunderstand?" she asked. "I don’t think I could misunderstand you, Elsie. I don’t think anybody could." She came up closer. "Well, it’s this, Jack. Sit down here by me. I have no one I can confide in but you. You know how kind you have always been to me. Ever since I was a wee bairn in a strange land. I can’t talk to Tammas about it, but I feel there is something strange between Colonel Goff and me. I feel that there is—" I started. She was pale, but went on. "Well, you know, I didn’t come here with them. I didn’t come here with them—with my grandparents; that was so long ago I don’t remember what is back of it. Anyway, soon after I came I remember Colonel Goff. And do you know," she went on, "he has been so good to me that—that I cannot understand it at all—only I feel when I am with him that I am drawn to him so! Oh, I have seen so much in him that others don’t see—and when I see him watching me so closely and saying nothing, it hurts me." She did not finish, but looked down the path, up which Colonel Goff, himself, was riding towards us. Elsie paled and then flushed quickly. He was smiling at us, his little eyes twinkling kindly. He gave us a quick military salute. "My word, a _tête-à-tête_, and a bloomin’ fool it is who’d break in on it. Hello, lassie—Jack!"