“How do you do, Aunt Egeria?” he cried, and he caught her small woman’s hand in a hard brown one and smiled on the little lady.

Bertha Afflint had flung her magazine to the winds and caught his available left hand.  “Oh, Lewie, you wretch! how glad we are to see you again.”  Meantime the dogs performed a solemn minuet around her ladyship’s knees.

The young man, when he had escaped from the embraces of his friends, turned to the others.  He seemed to recognize two of them, for he shook hands cordially with the two spectacled people.  “Hullo, Hoddam, how are you?  And Imrie!  Who would have thought of finding you here?” And he poured forth a string of kind questions till the two beamed with pleasure.

Then Alice heard dimly words of introduction:  “Miss Wishart, Mr. Haystoun,” and felt herself bowing automatically.  She actually felt nervous.  The disreputable fisher of the day before was in ordinary riding garments of fair respectability.  He recognized her at once, but he, too, seemed to lose for a moment his flow of greetings.  His tone insensibly changed to a conventional politeness, and he asked her some of the stereotyped questions with which one greets a stranger.  She felt sharply that she was a stranger to whom the courteous young man assumed more elaborate manners.  The freedom of the day before seemed gone.  She consoled herself with the thought that whereas then she had been warm, flushed, and untidy, she was now very cool and elegant in her prettiest frock.

Then Mr. Stocks arose and explained that he was delighted to meet Mr. Lewis Haystoun, that he knew of his reputation, and hoped to have some pleasant talk on matters dear to the heart of both.  At which Lewis shunned the vacant seat between Bertha and that gentleman, and stretched himself on the lawn beside Alice’s chair.  A thrill of pleasure entered the girl’s heart, to her own genuine surprise.

“Are Tam and Jock at peace now?” she asked.  “Tam and Jock are never at peace.  Jock is sedate and grave and old for his years, while Tam is simply a human collie.  He has the same endearing manners and irresponsible mind.  I had to fish him out of several rock-pools after you left.”

Alice laughed, and Lady Manorwater said in wonder, “I didn’t know you had met Lewie before, Alice.”

“Miss Wishart and I forgathered accidentally at the Midburn yesterday,” said the man.

“Oh, you went there,” cried the aggrieved Arthur, “and you never told me!  Why, it is the best water about here, and yesterday was a first-rate day.  What did you catch, Lewie?”

“Twelve pounds-about four dozen trout.”

“Listen to that!  And to think that that great hulking chap got all the sport!” And the boy intercepted his cousin’s tea by way of retaliation.

Then Mr. Stocks had his innings, with Lady Manorwater for company, and Lewis was put through a strict examination on his doings for the past years.