'Give me the letter, Ronald,' said she, 'and I will find some one myself. You are going away now with the dogs.'
'Oh no,' said he, 'I will see that the Crask folk get your message.'
'And the money to pay the lad?' said she timidly.
'Dinna bother your head wi' that,' he answered. 'There's enough money scattered about the place just now—the American gentleman was free-handed this morning. Ay, and there's something I've got for you.'
'For me?' she said, with her eyes opening somewhat.
'Well,' said he (and very glad he was to have the letter safe and sound in his possession), 'I was telling him about the children's party to-morrow night; and he's a friendly kind o' man, that; he said he would like to have been at it, if he could have stayed; and I'm sure he would have got on wi' them well enough, for he's a friendly kind o' man, as I say. Well, then, I couldna tell him the exact number o' the bairns; but no matter what number, each one o' them is to find sevenpence under the teacup—that's a penny for each fish he got. Ay, he's a shrewd-headed fellow, too; for says he "I suppose, now, the old people will be for having the children save up the sixpence, so at least they'll have the penny to spend;" and he was curious even to find out where the bairns in a place like this got their toys, or if sweeties ever came their way. "It's little enough of either o' them," I said to him, "they see, except when Miss Douglas has been to Lairg or Tongue;" and he was very anxious to make your acquaintance, I may tell ye, but he said he would wait till his daughter came with him the next time. I'm thinking the bairns will be pleased to find a little packet of money in the saucers; and it's not too much for a man to pay for the luck o' getting seven salmon in the middle of January—for who could have expected that?'
And then Meenie laughed.
'It's little you know, Ronald, what is in store for you to-morrow night. It will be the hardest night's work you ever undertook in your life.'
'I'm not afraid o't,' he answered simply.
'But you do not know yet.'