"She usedna tae be able tae gang up the stair wi'oot sittin' doon tae get her breath," said her grandmother to Miss Simpson one day; "an' noo, my word! she's awa' like a cat up a tree." Rachel carefully refrained from repeating this remark to Mona. She was afraid that so surprising a result might encourage her cousin to persevere in a work which Rachel fondly hoped had been relinquished for ever. The good soul had been much depressed on chancing to see the prescription which Mona had written for the girl. Why, it was a real prescription--like one of Dr Burns'! When a woman had got the length of writing _that_, what was the use of telling her she would never make a doctor? What more, when you came to think of it, did doctors do? There was nothing for it but to encourage Mr Brown, and Rachel forthwith determined to invite him and his sisters to tea. The study of the _Musci_, _Algæ_, and _Fungi_ had not proved a striking success hitherto. There had been one delightful ramble among the rocks and pools, but since then the pursuit had somewhat flagged. Several excursions had been arranged, but all had fallen through. On one occasion Miss Brown had been confined to the house; on another she had been obliged to visit an aunt who was ill; and on a third the weather had been unpropitious. "My dear," said Rachel one day, after the formation of the bold resolution above recorded, "if you are going in to Kirkstoun, you might stop at Donald's on the Shore, and order some cookies and shortbread. To-morrow's the day the cart comes round, and I'm expecting Mr Brown and his sisters to tea." Mona nearly dropped the box of tape she was holding. "Dear cousin," she said, "the sisters have never called on you, have they?" "No," replied Rachel frankly, "but one must make a beginning. They offered us tea the day we were there." "I promised Mrs Ewing that I would play the organ for the choir practice to-morrow evening." "Well, I'm sure I never heard the like! She just takes her use of you." "You must not forget that she allows me to practise on the organ whenever I like. It is an infinite treat to me." "And what's the use of it, I wonder? You can't take an organ about with you when you go out to tea." "That's perfectly true," said Mona, laughing; "it is a selfish pleasure, no doubt." "It all comes of your going to the English chapel in the evening. If you'd taken my advice, you'd never have darkened its doors. They say so much about Mr Ewing being a gentleman, but I do think it was a queer-like thing their asking you to lunch, and never saying a word about me. Mr Stuart doesn't set himself up for anything great, but he did ask you to tea along with me." "The Ewings have not been introduced to you, dear." "And whose doing is that, I'd like to know? We've met them often enough in the town."