“See,” said Mrs. M’Cosh, “he’s been in a trap, but he’s gotten out.  Peter’s a cliver lad.”

Jock and Mhor had no words.  They lay on the linoleum-covered floor while Mrs. M’Cosh fetched hot milk, and crushed their faces against the little black-and-white body they had thought they might never see again, while Peter licked his own torn paw and their faces in turn.

* * * * *

It was wonderfully comfortable to see Pamela settle down in the corner of the sofa with her embroidery and ask news of all her friends.  Jean had been a little shy of meeting Pamela, wondering if Lord Bidborough had told her anything, wondering if she were angry that Jean should have had such an offer, or resentful that she had refused it.  But Pamela talked quite naturally about her brother, and gave no hint that she knew of any reason why Jean should blush when his name was mentioned.

“And how are all the people—­the Jowetts and the Watsons and the Dawsons?  And the dear Macdonalds?  I picked up a book in Edinburgh that I think Mr. Macdonald will like.  And Lewis Elliot—­have you seen him lately, Jean?”

“He’s away.  Didn’t you know?  He went just after you did.  He was in London at Christmas—­at least, that was the postmark on the parcels, but he has never written a word.  He was always a bad correspondent, but he’ll turn up one of these days.”

Mrs. M’Cosh came in with the letters from the evening post.

“Actually a letter for me,” said Jean, “from London.  I expect it’s from that landlord of ours.  Surely he won’t be giving us notice to leave The Rigs.  Pamela, I’m afraid to open it.  It looks like a lawyer’s letter.”

“Open it then.”

Jean opened it slowly and read the enclosure with a puzzled frown; then she dropped it with a cry.

Pamela looked up from her work to see Jean with tears running down her face.  Jock and Mhor stopped what they were doing and came to look at her.  Peter rubbed himself against her legs by way of comfort.

“My dear,” said Pamela, “is there anything wrong?”

“Oh, do you remember the little old man who came one day to look at the house and stayed to tea and I sang ‘Strathairlie’ to him?  He’s dead.”

Jean’s tears flowed afresh as she said the words.  “How I wish I had been kinder to him.  I somehow felt he was ill.”

“And why have they written to tell you?” Pamela asked.

Jean picked up the letter which had fallen on the floor.

“It’s from his lawyer, and he says he has left me money....  Read it, Pamela.  I don’t seem able to see the words.”

So Pamela read aloud the letter that converted poverty-stricken Jean into a very wealthy woman.

Jean’s face was dead white, and she lay back as if stunned, while Jock gave solemn utterance to the most complicated ejaculation he had yet achieved:  “Goodness-gracious-mercy-Moses-Murphy-mumph-mumph-mump
h!”