228 Winter 



yonder,' said Adam, pointing to the foot of this tree. 

 A timid, limping, hungry hare, probably tempted by 

 the remembrance of the vegetables it had sometimes 

 on moonlight nights found in the gardens, was making 

 towards them in little starts and runs followed by stops, 

 during which it would sit with its long ears pricked 

 up to listen to or scent danger. Could any Blackford 

 man look on that sight unmoved? It might have 

 made the old minister himself turn poacher, and the 

 temptation was quite too strong for Adam. The very 

 dogs, by the eager way in which they started up to 

 follow him, seemed to see a chance of sport in his 

 looks. 



He was no sooner gone than Kitty did a very 

 curious thing. Running to her own apartment, she 

 quickly produced a biggish bunch of old keys, and 

 began trying the lock of Adam's chest until she got 

 one to fit. Then she opened it and looked in. But 

 no pile of gold met her eye. Adam had a second box 

 within the big one, and it, too, was locked. Kitty did 

 not seem at all disappointed. Without touching any- 

 thing in the box, she let the lid fall, carefully locked 

 it and put her keys back where she had found them. 



Had Willie Allan been there to watch her next 

 proceedings, he would have been hurt and surprised ; 

 for the little flirt, after smartening herself up before the 

 mirror, proceeded to the kitchen, where Aleck was 

 busy polishing the harness of the doctor's horse, which 

 happened to be kept at the Red Lion. Ensconcing 



