But here Isabel did begin to look a little frightened; and she glanced anxiously at Miss Stanley.
"Perhaps the lady will be angry—" she said, with shrinking eyes.
"Oh, no, she won't be angry," Käthchen interposed at once. "What about the cow? Tell me about the cow."
"It was my mother's cow that got into the bog and was drowned—'
"The bog we strayed into?" Käthchen exclaimed. "Do you mean to say that cattle have been swallowed up in that place?"
"Ay, many and many a one," said the little girl.
"I'll have it fenced round at once," said Mary, in her usual prompt and emphatic way, "no matter what it costs!"
"And the cow?" said Käthchen, encouragingly, to the little Highland lass. "What did Mr. Ross want to know about the cow?"
"Mr. Ross," continued Isabel, "he was sending a message that my mother would ask Mr. Purdie and the lady for a cow in place of that one, and the money to be paid back bit by bit as we could do it; yes, and Mr. Purdie was to be asked for the cow; and Mr. Ross he came up last night to see if we were to get the cow. But we were not hearing about it from any one."
Mary's face flushed with vexation.