And this, too, is another flash into her dark character.  Tommy, who never missed saying his prayers and could say them with surprising quickness, told her, “God is fonder of lonely lassies than of any other kind, and every time you greet it makes Him greet, and when you’re cheerful it makes Him cheerful too.”  This was meant to dry her eyes, but it had not that effect, for, said Elspeth, vindictively, “Well, then, I’ll just make Him as miserable as I can.”

When Tommy was merely concerned with his own affairs he did not think much about God, but he knew that no other could console Elspeth, and his love for her usually told him the right things to say, and while he said them, he was quite carried away by his sentiments and even wept over them, but within the hour he might be leering.  They were beautiful, and were repeated of course to Mrs. McLean, who told her husband of them, declaring that this boy’s love for his sister made her a better woman.

“But nevertheless,” said Ivie, “Mr. Cathro assures me—­”

“He is prejudiced,” retorted Mrs. McLean warmly, prejudice being a failing which all women marvel at.  “Just listen to what the boy said to Elspeth to-day.  He said to her, ’When I am away, try for a whole day to be better than you ever were before, and think of nothing else, and then when prayer-time comes you will see that you have been happy without knowing it.’  Fancy his finding out that.”

“I wonder if he ever tried it himself?” said Mr. McLean.

“Ivie, think shame of yourself!”

“Well, even Cathro admits that he has a kind of cleverness, but—­”

“Cleverness!” exclaimed Ailie, indignantly, “that is not cleverness, it is holiness;” and leaving the cynic she sought Elspeth, and did her good by pointing out that a girl who had such a brother should try to save him pain.  “He is very miserable, dear,” she said, “because you are so unhappy.  If you looked brighter, think how that would help him, and it would show that you are worthy of him.”  So Elspeth went home trying hard to look brighter, but made a sad mess of it.

“Think of getting letters frae me every time the post comes in!” said Tommy, and then indeed her face shone.

And then Elspeth could write to him—­yes, as often as ever she liked!  This pleased her even more.  It was such an exquisite thought that she could not wait, but wrote the first one before he started, and he answered it across the table.  And Mrs. McLean made a letter bag, with two strings to it, and showed her how to carry it about with her in a safer place than a pocket.

Then a cheering thing occurred.  Came Corp, with the astounding news that, in the Glenquharity dominie’s opinion, Tommy should have got the Hugh Blackadder.

“He says he is glad he wasna judge, because he would have had to give you the prize, and he laughs like to split at the ministers for giving it to Lauchlan McLauchlan.”