“If you had done it for yourself, I should unhesitatingly say you must. But as it was, I am not prepared to say so.” “What am I to do then? How am I to get ready for college?” The laird gave a sigh, and made no answer. Alas! there were more difficulties than that in the path to college. He turned away, and went to call on the minister, while Cosmo got up and dressed: except a little singing in his head when he stooped, he was aware of no consequences of the double blow. Grannie was again at her wheel, and Cosmo sat down in her chair to await his father’s return. “Whaur said ye the captain sleepit whan he was at the castle?” he inquired across the buzz and whiz and hum of the wheel. Through the low window, betwixt the leaves of the many plants that shaded it, he could see the sun shining hot upon the bare street; but inside was soft gloom filled with murmurous sound. “Whaur but i’ the best bedroom?” answered Grannie. “Naething less wad hae pleased _him_, I can assure ye. For ance ’at there cam the markis to the hoose--whan things warna freely sae scant aboot the place as they hae been sin’ yer father cam to the throne--there cam at his back a fearsome storm, sic as comes but seldom in a life lang as mine, an’ sic ’at his lordship cudna win awa’. Thereupon yer father, that is, yer gran’father,--or it wad be yer grit-gran’father--I’m turnin’ some confused amo’ ye: ye aye keep comin’!--onyhoo, he gae the captain a kent like, ’at he wad du weel to offer his room til ’s lordship. But wad he, think ye? Na, no him! He grew reid, an’ syne as white ’s the aisse, an’ luikit to be i’ the awfu’est inside rage ’at mortal wessel cud weel haud. Sae yer gran’father, no ’at he was feart at ’im, for I s’ be bun’ he never was feart afore the face o’ man, but jest no wullin’ to anger his ain kin, an’ maybe no willin’ onybody sud say he was a respecter o’ persons, heeld his tongue an’ said nae mair, an’ the markis hed the second best bed, for he sleepit in Glenwarlock’s ain.” Cosmo then told her the dream he had had in the night, describing the person he had seen in it as closely as he could. Now all the time Grannie had been speaking, it was to the accompaniment of her wheel, but Cosmo had not got far with his narrative when she ceased spinning, and sat absorbed--listening as to a real occurrence, not the feverish dream of a boy. When he ended, “It maun hae been the auld captain himsel’!” she said under her breath, and with a sigh; then shut up her mouth, and remained silent, leaving Cosmo in doubt whether it was that she would take no interest in such a foolish thing, or found in it something to set her thinking; but he could not help noting that there seemed a strangeness about her silence; nor did she break it until his father returned. CHAPTER VIII. HOME.