An older minister, believing that Nanny’s anguish was ended, might have gone on his knees and finished the interrupted prayer, but now Gavin was only doing this girl’s bidding.

“Nanny and I are to have a dish of tea, as soon as we have set things to rights,” she told him, “Do you think we should invite the minister, Nanny?”

“We couldna dare,” Nanny answered quickly,

“You’ll excuse her, Mr. Dishart, for the presumption?”

“Presumption!” said the Egyptian, making a face.

“Lassie,” Nanny said, fearful to offend her new friend, yet horrified at this affront to the minister, “I ken you mean weel, but Mr. Dishart’ll think you’re putting yoursel’ on an equality wi’ him.”  She added in a whisper, “Dinna be so free; he’s the Auld Licht minister.”

The gypsy bowed with mock awe, but Gavin let it pass.  He had, indeed, forgotten that he was anybody in particular, and was anxious to stay to tea.

“But there is no water,” he remembered, “and is there any tea?”

“I am going out for them and for some other things,” the Egyptian explained.  “But no,” she continued, reflectively, “if I go for the tea, you must go for the water.”

“Lassie,” cried Nanny, “mind wha you’re speaking to.  To send a minister to the well!”

“I will go,” said Gavin, recklessly lifting the pitcher.  “The well is in the wood, I think?”

“Gie me the pitcher, Mr. Dishart,” said Nanny, in distress.  “What a town there would be if you was seen wi’t!”

“Then he must remain here and keep the house till we come back,” said the Egyptian, and thereupon departed, with a friendly wave of her hand to the minister.

“She’s an awfu’ lassie,” Nanny said, apologetically, “but it’ll just be the way she has been brought up.”

“She has been very good to you, Nanny.”

“She has; leastwise, she promises to be.  Mr. Dishart, she’s awa’; what if she doesna come back?”

Nanny spoke nervously, and Gavin drew a long face.

“I think she will,” he said faintly.  “I am confident of it,” he added in the same voice.

“And has she the siller?”

“I believe in her,” said Gavin, so doggedly that his own words reassured him.  “She has an excellent heart.”

“Ay,” said Nanny, to whom the minister’s faith was more than the Egyptian’s promise, “and that’s hardly natural in a gaen-aboot body.  Yet a gypsy she maun be, for naebody would pretend to be ane that wasna.  Tod, she proved she was an Egyptian by dauring to send you to the well.”

This conclusive argument brought her prospective dower so close to Nanny’s eyes that it hid the poorhouse.

“I suppose she’ll gie you the money,” she said, “and syne you’ll gie me the seven shillings a week?”

“That seems the best plan,” Gavin answered.

“And what will you gie it me in?” Nanny asked, with something on her mind.  “I would be terrible obliged if you gae it to me in saxpences.”