"He's no' been askin' ye?"
"No, no," said Mona warmly, "and he never will. Can a man and woman not go 'after the butterflies,' as you call it, without thinking of love and marriage?"
Auntie Bell's face was worth looking at.
"I nae ken," she said grimly; "I hae ma doots."
"Well, I assure you Mr Brown has not even mentioned such a thing to me."
Auntie Bell eyed her keenly through the gold spectacles, but Mona did not flinch.
"Then his sisters have," thought the old woman shrewdly. "I'll gie them a piece o' ma mind the neist time I'm doun the toun."
Mona's visits were necessarily very short on these winter afternoons, and as soon as tea was over she rose to go.
"Are ye aye minded tae gang hame come Mairch?" said Auntie Bell.
"Oh yes, I cannot possibly stay longer."