And the little Maggie flushed with shame and vexation. ’Indeed, now! Did Ronald not speak to you about it?’ ’Oh, I have known about it for a long time,’ she said lightly, ’and I was very glad to hear of it, for I thought it was a great chance for me to get the loan of the barn.’ ’But you—you, Meenie—that they did not ask you first of all!’ the younger girl cried. ’But it can only be that every one is expected to come—every one except the small children who canna sit up late. And I’m sure I did not expect to go; but Mr. Murray, he was joking and saying that I would have to dance the first dance wi’ him; and Ronald said I might be there for a while. But—but—I’m no going if you’re no going, Meenie.’ ’But that is nonsense, Maggie,’ the other said good-naturedly. ’Of course you must go. And I should like well enough——’ ’I am sure Mr. Murray would put you at the head of the table—by his own side—and proud, too!’ Maggie exclaimed warmly. ’And I am sure I should not wish anything like that,’ Meenie said, laughing. ’I would far rather go with you. I would like to see some of the dancing.’ ’Oh, Meenie,’ her companion said, with eyes full of earnestness, ’did you ever see Ronald dance the sword-dance?’ ’No, I have not, Maggie.’ ’They say there is none can do it like him. And if he would only go to the Highland meetings, he could win prizes and medals—and for the pipe-playing too, and the tossing the caber. There is not one of the lads can come near him; but it is not often that he tries; for he is not proud.’ ’I am glad that he does not go to the Highland meetings,’ Meenie said, rather quietly, and with her eyes cast down. ’No, he is not proud,’ said Maggie, continuing (for she had but the one hero in all the world), ’although there is nothing he canna do better than any of them. There was one of the gentlemen said to him last year—the gentleman hadna been shooting very well the day before—he said, "Ronald, let one of the gillies look after the dogs to-day, and go you and bring your gun, and make up for my mistakes;" and when he came home in the evening, he said, "It was a clean day’s shooting the day; we did not leave one wounded bird or hare behind us." And another gentleman was saying, "Ronald, if ye could sell your eye-sight, I would give ye five hundred pounds for’t." And Duncan was saying that this gentleman that’s come for the fishing, he doesna talk to Ronald about the salmon and the loch, but about everything in the country, and Ronald knows as well as him about such things. And his lordship, too, he writes to Ronald, "Dear Ronald," and quite friendly; and when he was going away he gave Ronald his own pipe, that has got a silver band on it, and his tobacco-pouch, with the letters of his name worked in silk. And there’s not one can say that Ronald’s proud.’