“Why don’t you go away?” said the girl, venturing one set of toes from under their tent, but hesitating to proceed further in the business. Without word or turn of head he walked away. Either flattered by his absolute obedience, and persuaded that he was a true squire, or unwilling to forego what amusement she might gain from him, she drew in her half-issuing foot, and, certainly urged in part by an inherent disposition to tease, spoke again. “You’re not going away without thanking me?” she said. “What for, mem?” he returned simply, standing stock-still again with his back towards her. “You needn’t stand so. You don’t think I would go on dressing while you remained in sight?” “I was as guid ’s awa’, mem,” he said, and turning a glowing face, looked at her for a moment, then cast his eyes on the ground. “Tell me what you mean by not thanking me,” she insisted. “They wad be dull thanks, mem, that war thankit afore I kenned what for.” “For allowing you to carry me ashore, of course.” “Be thankit, mem, wi’ a’ my hert. Will I gang doon o’ my knees?” “No. Why should you go on your knees?” “’Cause ye’re ’maist ower bonny to luik at stan’in’, mem, an’ I’m feared for angerin’ ye.” “Don’t say ma’am to me.” “What am I to say, than, mem?--I ask yer pardon, mem.” “Say _my lady_. That’s how people speak to me.” “I thocht ye bude (_behoved_) to be somebody by ordinar’, my leddy! That’ll be hoo ye’re so terrible bonny,” he returned, with some tremulousness in his tone. “But ye maun put on yer hose, my leddy, or ye’ll get yer feet cauld, and that’s no guid for the likes o’ you.” The form of address she prescribed, conveyed to him no definite idea of rank. It but added intensity to the notion of her being a lady, as distinguished from one of the women of his own condition in life. “And pray what is to become of you,” she returned, “with your clothes as wet as water can make them?” “The saut water kens me ower weel to do me ony ill,” returned the lad. “I gang weet to the skin mony a day frae mornin’ till nicht, and mony a nicht frae nicht till mornin’--at the heerin’ fishin’, ye ken, my leddy.”