"I know more about your work than you think," said he. "But I should be glad to go with you."
"And then perhaps the people won't treat me as a stranger," she said, with a touch of injury in her tone.
"It is very ungrateful of them if they do," said he, with some emphasis.
And so it came about, on the next day, that Lochgarra again beheld the spectacle of Young Donald of Heimra acting as escort to the English lady, while she was taking him about and showing him all she was doing or trying to do. And to Käthchen it was as clear as daylight that those people began to be a great deal more friendly—more willing to answer questions—more sympathetic in their looks. Why, when the two girls returned home that evening, they found the hall-door open, and Barbara in the act of lifting up two huge stenlock that had been laid on the stone slab.
"Why, what's this, Barbara?" Mary inquired.
"Oh, it's just that foolish lad, the Gillie Ciotach," said Barbara, with a smile of apology, "and he was leaving them here instead of taking them round by the back. He was saying the people are thanking Miss Stanley for the new building and the papers; and he and Archie MacNicol they had a big catch of stenlock, and would Miss Stanley take one or two."
"Do you mean that the Gillie Ciotach brought me those fish as a present?" said Mary, with a delighted surprise—and she was looking at those big, coarse lythe as if she had just received an Emperor's gift.
"Yes, ma'am," said Barbara.
"But of course you gave him something all the same?"
"Oh, no, ma'am."