"Why, we've been talking aboot ye, lassie; and Sir Mooray said he had made up his mind to go abroad again, and asked me if I'd gang wi' him; and though it cut me to the heart to leave my fruit and flowers, lassie, I thocht I'd see new sorts in the far countree, and I said I'd gang." "It didn't fret you, then, to think of leaving me?" said Jane, bitterly. "Hoot, lassie! and who's aboot to gang and leave ye?" exclaimed McCray. "Sir Mooray said I was to see and get a good nurse to tak' charge of the bairn--one as would go abroad; and I telled him he couldna do better than keep ye, when I thocht he was going to fly at me. But I telled him, quite still like, that we'd promised to marry, and that if he didna tak' ye, lassie, he wadna tak' me; and that seemed to make him mad for a bit, till I telled him that ye lo'ed weel the bairn, and that ye were a gude girl at heart. But he wadna listen." "Was it to be a good place, Alexander?" said Jane. "Ay, lassie; I was to have a fair bit o' siller." "Then you mustn't give it up for me." "I didna mean to, lassie," said McCray, coolly. Jane was piqued, and said nothing. "There, lassie, I winna beat aboot the bush any more. It was settled at last that we twain are to gang thegither; and I agreed for both, and Sir Mooray starts next week for the Lake Como." "And like you!" said Jane, with asperity. "How could you know that I'd go?" "Why, didn't I ken that ye'd gang for my sake?" said McCray. "No, indeed!" exclaimed Jane. "That's just what I thocht," said McCray, with a twinkle in his eye; "but I was quite sure ye would on account of the bairn." Jane smiled, in spite of herself, as McCray's arm was passed round her: but her eyes filled with tears directly after, as she placed the child upon a chair, and then went down upon her knees before it, kissing it again and again. "It was good, and kind, and thoughtful of you, Alexander," she said, turning to the gardener; "and I know you've been having a hard battle for me." "Weel, lassie, he did want a deal o' pruning, certainly," said McCray. "But I'm very--very grateful!" sobbed Jane, "for the poor child seems all one has to live for now!" "All, lassie?" said McCray, dryly. "Well, no; not all," said Jane. "But I'm not worthy of you, and I never ought to have made you the promise I did, for I can't love you as much as you ought to be loved." "Hoot, lassie!" cried McCray, kneeling by her side, and drawing her to him, "gin ye try like that, I'm quite satisfied, for what more need a man wush for, than for his couthie wee bodie to try and love him with all her heart?" Book 1, Chapter XXXIX. MR CHUNT'S TOAST.