Christian kissed her again, a great gulp in his throat. "Yes," he said, "in the eyes of men we may have wronged the child, but in the eternal world, when these few painful years are as a span, she will be ours indeed, and God will not ask by right of what symbol we claim her." They had walked to the gate. "Wait!" said Mona, and ran toward the door. Christian thought she had gone to prepare her mother, but returning in an instant, and on tip-toe, with the light of laughter struggling through her tears, she beckoned him to follow her, with stealthy tread. Creeping up to the window, she took his hand and whispered, "Look!" They were standing in the darkness and cold, but the house within was bright this winter's night, with one little human flower in bloom. Ruby had dressed the kitchen in hibbin and hollen and had scattered wheaten flour over the red berries to resemble snow. She was standing near Mrs. Cregeen's knee, being undressed for bed. Her heart had leaped all day at the thought of a new hat, which she was to wear for the first time next morning. This treasure had been hung on a peg over the plates above the dresser, and at intervals more or less frequent Ruby twisted about and cocked her eye up at it. It took a world of stolen glances to grow familiar with the infinite splendor of its bow and feather. While the threads and the buttons were being undone Ruby sang and gossiped. A well-filled water-crock had been set on the table, and touching this, the little one said: "Do the fairies bathe in winter?" "So they're saying, my veen," answered Mrs. Cregeen. "Can I see the fairies if I lie awake all night? I'm not a bit sleepy. Can I see them all in their little velvet jackets--can I?" "No, no; little girls must go to bed." There was a pretty pretense at disappointment in the downward curve of the lip. The world had no real sorrow for the owner of that marvelous hat. The next instant the child sang: "I rede ye beware of the Carrasdoo men As ye come up the wold; I rede ye beware of the haunted glen--" Ruby interrupted her song to wriggle out of Mrs. Cregeen's hands, pull off her stocking, and hang it on one of the knobs of the dresser. "I hope it will be the Phynnodderee that comes to-night," she said. "Why that one?" said Mrs. Cregeen, smiling. "Because Danny says that's the fairy that loves little Manx girls." "Danny shouldn't tell you such foolish old stories." "Are they stories?" "Yes." "Oh!" Another sly glance at the wonderful hat on the peg behind. That was a reality at all events. "But I'm sure a good fairy will come for me to-night," insisted Ruby. "Why are sure, Ruby veg?" "Because--because I _am_." Christian tightened his grasp of Mona's hand. At that moment a gust of wind passed round the house. Mona remembered that to-night she was standing with Christian on the spot where last night she had parted with Danny. "Listen," said Mrs. Cregeen to the child. "Pity the poor sailors at sea."