’There’s the only girl living fit to marry a man and swear she ’ll stick to him through life and death.’

He started at a gallop.  Temple would have gone too at any possible speed, for he knew as well as I did that Janet was the girl alone capable of winning a respectful word from Heriot; but I detained him to talk of Ottilia and my dismal prospect of persuading the squire to consent to my proposal for her, and to dower her in a manner worthy a princess.  He doled out his yes and no to me vacantly.  Janet and Heriot came at a walking pace to meet us, he questioning her, she replying, but a little differently from her usual habit of turning her full face to the speaker.  He was evidently startled, and, to judge from his posture, repeated his question, as one would say, ‘You did this?’ She nodded, and then uttered some rapid words, glanced at him, laughed shyly, and sank her features into repose as we drew near.  She had a deep blush on her face.  I thought it might be, that Janet and her loud champion had come to particular terms, a supposition that touched me with regrets for Temple’s sake.  But Heriot was not looking pleased.  It happened that whatever Janet uttered struck a chord of opposition in me.  She liked the Winter and the Winter sunsets, had hopes of a frost for skating, liked our climate, thought our way of keeping Christmas venerable, rejoiced in dispensing the squire’s bounties—­called them bounties, joined Heriot in abusing foreign countries to the exaltation of her own:  all this with ’Well, Harry, I’m sorry you don’t think as we do.  And we do, don’t we?’ she addressed him.

‘I reserve a point,’ he said, and not playfully.

She appeared distressed, and courted a change of expression in his features, and I have to confess that never having seen her gaze upon any one save myself in that fashion, which was with her very winning, especially where some of her contralto tones of remonstrance or entreaty aided it, I felt as a man does at a neighbour’s shadow cast over his rights of property.

Heriot dropped to the rear:  I was glad to leave her with Temple, and glad to see them canter ahead together on the sand of tie heaths.

‘She has done it,’ Heriot burst out abruptly.  ‘She has done it!’ he said again.  ’Upon my soul, I never wished in my life before that I was a marrying man:  I might have a chance of ending worth something.  She has won the squire round with a thundering fib, and you’re to have the German if you can get her.  Don’t be in a hurry.  The squire ’ll speak to you to-night:  but think over it.  Will you?  Think what a girl this is.  I believe on my honour no man ever had such an offer of a true woman.  Come, don’t think it’s Heriot speaking—­I’ve always liked her, of course.  But I have always respected her, and that’s not of course.  Depend upon it, a woman who can be a friend of men is the right sort of woman to make a match with.  Do you suppose she couldn’t have a dozen fellows