"Sing my praises! No, by Jove!--there's nothing to praise in me. I don't want you to say a word, David. Let _her_ speak--hear what _she_ says--and then--and then tell _me_!" "Then tell _you_--yes--yes, I see!" And Helmsley nodded again in a fashion that was somewhat trying to Reay's patience. "But, suppose she finds fault with you, and says you are not at all the style of man she likes--what then?" "Then,"--said Reay, gloomily--"my book will never be finished!" "Dear, dear!" Helmsley raised his hands with a very well acted gesture of timid concern--"So bad as all that!" "So bad as all that!" echoed Reay, with a quick sigh; "Or rather so good as all that. I don't know how it has happened, David, but she has quite suddenly become the very life of my work. I don't think I could get on with a single page of it, if I didn't feel that I could go to her and ask her what she thinks of it." "But,"--said Helmsley, in a gentle, argumentative way--"all this is very strange! She is not an educated woman." Reay laughed lightly. "No? What do you call an educated woman, David?" Helmsley thought a moment. The situation was a little difficult, for he had to be careful not to say too much. "Well, I mean,"--he said, at last--"She is not a lady." Reay's eyes flashed sudden indignation. "Not a lady!" he ejaculated--"Good God! Who is a lady then?" Helmsley glanced at him covertly. How fine the man looked, with his tall, upright figure, strong, thoughtful face, and air of absolute determination! "I'm afraid,"--he murmured, humbly--"I'm afraid I don't know how to express myself,--but what I want to say is that she is not what the world would call a lady,--just a simple lace-mender,--real 'ladies' would not ask her to their houses, or make a friend of her, perhaps--" "She's a simple lace-mender,--I was a common cowherd,"--said Angus, grimly--"Do you think those whom the world calls 'ladies' would make a friend of _me_?" Helmsley smiled. "You're a man--and to women it doesn't matter what a man _was_, so long as he _is_ something. You were a cowherd, as you say--but you educated yourself at a University and got a degree. In that way you've raised yourself to the rank of a gentleman--"