“Eh, Peter man! I’m blythe to see ye,” cried Malcolm. “Gie ’s a grup o’ yer honest han’.” More than even the sight of his face beaming with pleasure, more than that grasp of the hand that would have squeezed the life out of a pole-cat, was the sound of the mother-tongue from his lips. The cloud of Peter’s long distrust broke and vanished, and the sky of his soul was straightway a celestial blue. He snatched his hand from Malcolm’s, walked back into the empty house, ran into the little closet off the kitchen, bolted the door, fell on his knees in the void little sanctuary that had of late been the scene of so many foiled attempts to lift up his heart, and poured out speechless thanksgiving to the God of all grace and consolation, who had given him back his friend, and that in the time of his sore need. So true was his heart in its love, that, giving thanks for his friend, he forgot that friend was the Marquis of Lossie, before whom his enemy was but as a snail in the sun. When he rose from his knees, and went out again, his face shining and his eyes misty, his wife was on the top of the cart, tying a rope across the cradle. “Peter,” said Malcolm, “ye was quite richt to gang, but I’m glaid they didna lat ye.” “I wad ha’e been half w’y to Port Gordon or noo,” said Peter. “But noo ye’ll no gang to Port Gordon,” said Malcolm. “Ye’ll jist gang to the Salmon for a feow days, till we see hoo things gang.” “I’ll du onything ye like, Ma’colm,” said Peter, and went into the house to fetch his bonnet. In the street arose the cry of a woman, and into the close rushed one of the fisher-wives, followed by the factor. He had found a place on the eastern side of the village, where, jumping a low earth wall, he got into a little back yard, and was trampling over its few stocks of kail, and its one dusty miller and double daisy, when the woman to whose cottage it belonged caught sight of him through the window, and running out fell to abusing him in no measured language. He rode at her in his rage, and she fled shrieking into Peter’s close, where she took refuge behind the cart, never ceasing her vituperation, but calling him every choice name in her vocabulary. Beside himself with the rage of murdered dignity, he rode up, and struck at her over the corner of the cart, whereupon, from the top of it, Annie Mair ventured to expostulate. “Hoot, sir! It’s no mainners to lat at a wuman like that.” He turned upon her, and gave her a cut on the arm and hand, so stinging that she cried out, and nearly fell from the cart. Out rushed Peter and flew at the factor, who from his seat of vantage began to ply his whip about his head. But Malcolm, who, when the factor appeared, had moved aside to keep Kelpie out of mischief, and saw only the second of the two assaults, came forward with a scramble and a bound.