“Eh! it’s you?” she cried with a glad voice, when she saw the shape of Cosmo in the dimness. “There’s naething wrang I houp,” she added, changing her tone. “Na, naething,” answered Cosmo. “I only wantit to lat ye ken ’at I wasna gaein’ back to the schuil ony mair.” “Weel, I dinna won’er at that!” returned Agnes with a little sigh. “Efter the w’y the maister behaved til ye, the laird cud ill lat ye gang there again. But what’s he gaein’ to du wi’ ye, Maister Cosmo, gien a body micht speir ’at has nae richt to be keerious?” “He’s sen’in’ me to maister Simon,” answered Cosmo. “I wuss I was gaein’ tu,” sighed Aggie. “I’m jist feart ’at I’ll come to hate the maister efter ye’re no to be seen there, Cosmo. An’ we maunna hate, for that, ye ken, ’s the hin ’er en’ o’ a’ thing. But it wad be a heap easier no to hate him, gien I had naething tu du wi’ him.” “That maun be confest,” answered Cosmo.--“But,” he added, “the hairst-play ’ill be here sune, an’ syne the hairst itsel’; an’ whan ye gang back ye’ll hae won ower ’t.” “Na, I doobt no, Cosmo; for, ye see, as I hae h’ard my father say, the Gracies are a’ terrible for min’in’. Na, there’s no forgettin’ o’ naething. What for sud onything be forgotten? It’s a cooardly kin’ o’ a’ w’y, to forget.” “Some things, I doobt, hae to be forgotten,” returned Cosmo, thoughtfully. “Gien ye forgie a body for enstance, ye maun forget tu--no sae muckle, I’m thinkin’, for the sake o’ them ’at did ye the wrang, for wha wad tak up again a fool (_foul_) thing ance it was drappit?--but for yer ain sake; for what ye hae dune richt, my father says, maun be forgotten oot ’o sicht for fear o’ corruption, for naething comes to stink waur nor a guid deed hung up i’ the munelicht o’ the memory.” “Eh!” exclaimed Aggie, “but ye’re unco wice for a lad o’ yer ’ears.” “I wad be an unco gowk,” remarked Cosmo, “gien I kent naething, wi’ sic a father as yon o’ mine. What wad ye think o’ yersel’ gien the dochter o’ Jeames Gracie war nae mair wice-like nor Meg Scroggie?” Agnes laughed, but made no reply, for the voice of her mother came out of the dark: “Wha’s that, Aggie, ye’re haudin’ sic a confab wi’ in the middle o’ the nicht? Ye tellt me ye had to sit up to yer lessons!” “I was busy at them, mither, whan Maister Cosmo chappit at the door.” “Weel, what for lat ye him stan’ there? Ye may hae yer crack wi’ _him_ as lang ’s ye like--in rizzon, that is. Gar him come in.” “Na, na, mistress Gracie,” answered Cosmo; “I maun awa’ hame; I hae had a gey lang walk. It’s no ’at I’m tired, but I’m gey and sleepy. Only I was sae pleased ’at I was gaein’ to learn my lessons wi’ Maister Simon, ’at I bude to tell Aggie. She micht ha’ been won’erin’, an’ thinkin’ I wasna better, gien she hadna seen me at the schuil the morn.”