“Ye hae na been sae daft as tell?” asked she.
Flucker shook his head contemptuously.
“Ony birds at the island, Flucker?”
“Sea-maws, plenty, and a bird I dinna ken; he moonted sae high, then doon like thunder intil the sea, and gart the water flee as high as Haman, and porpoises as big as my boat.”
“Porr-poises, fulish laddy—ye hae seen the herrin whale at his wark, and the solant guse ye hae seen her at wark; and beneath the sea, Flucker, every coedflsh and doegfish, and fish that has teeth, is after them; and half Scotland wad be at Inch Keith Island if they kenned what ye hae tell't me—dinna speak to me.”
During this, Gatty, who did not comprehend this sudden excitement, or thought it childish, had tried in vain to win her attention.
At last he said, a little peevishly, “Will you not attend to me, and tell me at least when you will sit to me?”
“Set!” cried she. “When there's nae wark to be done stanning.”
And with this she was gone.
At the foot of the stairs, she said to her brother: