A Winters Tale 227 



is sure to tell. He may be quiet, but he's game, 

 I warrant you. I could trust him with all I 

 have.' 



' You'd better not, uncle ; and as to breeding, do 

 you mind Meg's last pups that you expected to be so 

 good and still had to drown, for, says you, she's bred 

 back ? Well, I think Sandy's been bred back, and 

 that's why I want nothing to do with him.' 



' No, no, Kitty. If Aleck was what you say I 

 would have kicked him to the door sooner than let 

 him marry you. But he's a true lad for all his back- 

 wardness, and has a strong notion for you a strong 

 notion for him,' Adam repeated. 



'But if Aleck was a bad, treacherous man, and 

 didn't care a bit for me, would you leave me free to 

 take anybody I like ? ' queried Kitty. 



' Sartainly, sartainly,' answered her uncle. 



'Well, if I thought his blood as good as his 

 breeding I would take him to-morrow,' began Kitty ; 

 but she stopped, for Adam was not listening. Some- 

 thing had caught his eye outside, and a stranger to 

 his habits might have thought him rapt in con- 

 templation of the winter sunset's reddened clouds 

 or the snowy landscape. The window commanded a 

 view of a forty-acre field which stretched away from 

 the village gardens to a great thick wood, from which 

 it was separated by a brook. In the very middle of 

 it stood a solitary tree, the boughs of which shone 

 like dark tracery in the evening light. ' Look 



Q 2 



