“It’s my hope you didna gang oftener than you were welcome, laddie,” said the Mistress, with a characteristic doubt; “but I’ll no deny the minister’s aye very kind, and Katie too. You should not call her Katie now, Cosmo, she’s woman grown. I said the very same to Huntley no’ a week ago, but _he’s_ no like to offend onybody, poor lad, for many a day to come. And I left him very weel on the whole--oh, yes, very weel, in a grand ship for size, and mony mair in her--and they say they’ll soon be out of our northerly seas, and win to grand weather, and whiles I think, if there was _great_ danger, fewer folk would gang--no’ to say that the Almighty’s no’ a bit nigher by land than he is by sea.” “Eh! and that’s true!” cried Marget, in an involuntary amen. The Mistress was not perfectly pleased by the interruption. This tender mother could not help being imperative even in her tenderest affections; and even the faithful servant could not share her mother-anxieties without risk of an occasional outbreak. “How’s a’ the kye?” said the Mistress with a momentary sharpness. “I’ve never been an unthrifty woman, I’m bauld to say; but every mutchkin of milk maun double itself now, for my bairns’ sakes.” “Na, mem,” said Marget, touched on her honor, “it canna weel do that; but you ken yoursel’, if you had ta’en my advice, the byre might have been mair profit years ago. Better milkers are no’ in a’ the Lowdens; and if you sell Crummie’s cauf, as I aye advised--” “You’re aye very ready with your advice, my woman. I never meant any other thing,” said the Mistress, with some impatience; “but after this, the house of Norlaw maun even get a puir name, if it must be so; for I warn ye baith, my thoughts are upon making siller; and when I put my mind to a thing, I canna do it by halves.” “Then, mother, you must, in the first place, do something with me,” said Cosmo. “I’m the only useless person in the house.” “Useless, laddie!--hold you peace!” said the Mistress. “You’re but a bairn, and you’re tender, and you maunna make a profitless beginning till you win to your strength. Huntley and Patie--blessings on them!--were both strong callants in their nature, and got good time to grow; and I’ll no’ let my youngest laddie lose his youth. Eh, Cosmo, my man! if you were a lassie, instead of their brother, thae twa laddies that are away could not be mair tender of you in their hearts!” A flush came over Cosmo’s face, partly gratified affection, partly a certain shame. “But I’ll soon be a man,” he said, in a low and half excited tone; “and I can not be content to wait quietly at home when my brothers are working. I have a right to work as well.” “Bless the bairn!” cried Marget, once more involuntarily.