A dozen times of late she had wondered whether she should ask him to visit her mamma, and though the Painted Lady had screamed in terror at the proposal, being afraid of doctors, Grizel would have ventured ere now, had it not been for her mistaken conviction that he was a hard man, who would only flout her.

It had once come to her ears that he had said a woman like her mamma could demoralize a whole town, with other harsh remarks, doubtless exaggerated in the repetition, and so he was the last man she dared think of going to for help, when he should have been the first.

Nevertheless she had come now, and a soft word from him, such as he gave most readily to all who were in distress, would have drawn her pitiful tale from her, but he was in a grumpy mood, and had heard none of the rumors about her mother's being ill, which indeed were only common among the Monypenny children, and his first words checked her confidences.

"What are you hanging about my open window for ?" he cried sharply.
"Did you think I wanted to steal anything ?" replied the indignant child.
"I won't say but what I had some such thait." She turned to leave him, but he hooked her with his staff.

"As you're here," he said, "will you go an errand for me ?" "No," she told him promptly; "I don't like you." "There's no love lost between us," he replied, "for I think you're the dourest lassie I ever clapped eyes on, but there's no other litlin handy, so you must do as you are bid, and take this bottle to Ballingall's." "Is it a medicine bottle ?" she asked, with sudden interest.
"Yes, it's medicine.