It would be well, the master said, for Davie to get through the first year of the temptations while his brother John was there "to keep an eye on him;" and Davie's best friends and warmest admirers could not but agree, and, though not even the doubting Nancy was afraid for Archie as his master was afraid for his more thoughtless friend, it was yet thought best that the friends should go together. Archie had some troubles in his school and college life, as who has not? but he had many pleasures. He gained honour to himself as a scholar, and, what was better, he was ever known as one who feared G.o.d and who sought before all things His honour.

Lilias pa.s.sed her school-days with her friend Anne Graham, in the house of the kind Dr Gordon. It need not be said that they were happy, and that they greatly improved under the gentle and judicious guidance of Mrs Gordon, and that Lilias learnt to love her dearly.

And when their school-days were over, there followed a useful and happy life at home. The girls kept up their old friendship begun that day in the kirk-yard, with fewer ups and downs than generally characterise the friendships of girls of their age. Another than Lilias might have fancied Anne's tone to be a little peremptory sometimes; but, if Miss Graham thought herself wiser than her friend in some things, she as fully believed in her friend's superior goodness; and not one of all the little flock that Lilias used to rule and teach in the cottage by the common, long ago, deferred more to her than, in her heart, did Anne.

So a constant and pleasant intercourse was kept up between them, and Lilias was as much at home in the manse as in the Glen. They still pursued what Davie derisively called "their studies." That is, they read history and other books together, some of them grave and useful books, and some of them not quite so useful, but nice books for all that. Lilias delighted in poetry, and in the limited number of works of imagination permitted within the precincts of the manse. Anne liked them too; but, believing it to be a weakness, she said less about her enjoyment of them. Indeed, it was her wont to check the raptures of Lilias and her little sister Jessie over some of their favourites, and to rebuke the murmurs of the latter over books that were "good, but not bonny."

They had other pleasures, too--gardening, and rambles among the hills, and cottage-visiting. But the chief business and pleasure of Lilias was in caring for the comfort of her aunt, and in the guiding of the household affairs at Glen Elder. Matters within and without were so arranged that, while she might always be busy, she was never burdened with care; and so the quiet days pa.s.sed on, each bringing such sweet content as does not often fall to the lot of any household for a long time together.

But, though Lilias took pleasure in her friends and her home, her books and her household occupations, her best and highest happiness did not rest on these. Afterwards, when changes came, bringing anxious nights and sorrowful days, when the shadow of death hung over the household, and the untoward events of life seemed to threaten separation from friends who were none the less dear because no tie of blood united them, the foundation of her peace was unshaken. "For they that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, that cannot be removed."

Here for the present our story must close.

They went home to Glen Elder in May. Three years pa.s.sed, and May came again, and Glen Elder and Kirklands, and all the hills and dales between, were looking their loveliest in their changing robes of brown and purple and green. The air was sweet with the scent of hawthorn-blossoms, and vocal with the song of birds and the hum of bees.

There was not a fleck of cloud on all the sky, nor of mist on all the hills. The day was perfect, warm, bright, and still; such a day as does not come many times in all the Scottish year.

Nancy Stirling stood at her cottage-door, looking out over the green slope, and the burn running full to the fields beyond, and the faraway hills; and, as she looked, she sighed, and quite forgot the water-bucket in her hand, and that she was on her way to the burn for water to make her afternoon cup of tea. We speak of spring as a joyful season; we say, "the glad spring," and "the merry, merry May;" and it is a glad season to the birds and the bees, the lambs and the little children, and to grown people, too, who have nothing very sad to remember. But the coming back of so many fair things as the spring brings reminds many a one of fair things which can never come again; and hearts more contented than Mrs Stirling's was, sometimes sigh in the light of such a day.

"It's a bonny day," said she to herself, "a seasonable day for the country; and we should be thankful." But she sighed again as she said it; and, for no reason that she could give, her thoughts wandered away to a row of graves in the kirk-yard, and farther away still, to a home and a time in which she saw herself a little child, so blithe, so full of happy life, that, as it all came back, she could not but wonder how she ever should have changed to the troubled, dissatisfied woman that she knew herself to be.

"Oh, well! It couldna but be so, in a world like this. Such changes ay have been, and ay must be," said she, trying to comfort herself with the "old philosophy." But she did not quite succeed. For the pa.s.sing years had changed her, and it came into her mind, as it had often come of late, that she might perhaps have made a better use of all that life had brought her. But it was not a pleasant thought to pursue; and she gave a little start of relief and pleasure as she caught sight of two figures coming slowly up the brae.

"It's Lilias Elder and Archie. She'll have nothing left to wish for now that she has him home again. Eh! but she's a bonnie la.s.sie, and a good!

And Archie, too, is a well-grown lad, and not so set up as he might be, considering."

It was Lilias and her brother. Archie was at home, after his first session at the college; and Nancy was right; Lilias had little left to wish for.

"Well, bairns," she said, after the first greetings were over, "will you come in, or will you sit down here at the door? It's such a bonny day.

So you're home again, Archie, lad, and glad to be, I hope?"

"Very glad," said Archie. "I never was so glad before."

"You said that last time," said Lilias, laughing.

"Well, maybe I did. But it's true all the same. I'm more glad every time."

"And you didna come home before it was time," said Nancy. "You're thinner and paler than your aunt likes to see you, I'm thinking."

"I'm perfectly well, I a.s.sure you," said Archie.

"He will have a rest and the fresh country air again," said Lilias. "He has been very close at his books."

"Well, it may be that," said Mrs Stirling. "And so you're glad to be home again? You havena been letting that daft laddie, Davie Graham, lead you into any mischief that you would be afraid to tell your sister about, I hope?"

Archie laughed, and shook his head. Lilias laughed a little, too, as she said--

"Oh no, indeed. Even John says they have done wonderfully well: and after that you need have no fear."

"It's not unlikely that two or three things might happen in such a place, and John Graham be none the wiser. And it's not likely that he'll say any ill of your brother in your hearing," said Nancy drily.

"Not that I'm mis...o...b..ing you, Archie, man; and may you be kept safe, for your sister's sake!"

"For a better reason than that, I hope, Mrs Stirling," said Lilias gravely.

"Well, so be it; though his sister is a good enough reason for him, I hope. But where have you been? To see Bell Ray? How is she to-day, poor body?"

"We have not been there," said Lilias. "We meant to go when we came from home; but we stayed so long down yonder that we had no time. I am going some day soon."

"And where's 'down yonder,' if I may ask?" demanded Mrs Stirling.

"At the moor cottage," said Lilias. "We came over the hills to see it again, just to mind us of old times."

"And we stayed so long, speaking about these old times, that we are likely to be late home," said Archie; "and they are all coming up from the manse, to have tea in the Glen. We must make haste home, Lily."

"Yes; and we stayed a while at the old seat under the rowan-tree. We could only just reach it, the burn is so full. And look at all the flowers I found in the cottage-garden--heart's-ease, and daisies, and sweet-brier, and thyme. It seemed a pity to leave them, with n.o.body to see them. Give me something to put them in, Mrs Stirling, and I'll leave some of them for you. We will have time enough for that, Archie, never fear."

She sat down on the door-step, and laid the flowers on her lap.

"And wherefore should you be caring to mind yourselves of the old times, I wonder?" said Nancy, as she sat down beside her, holding the jug for the flowers in her hand. "Some of those days were sad enough, I'm sure.

Maybe it's to make you humble?"

"Yes, and thankful," said Lilias softly.

"And those days were very pleasant, too, in one way," said Archie.

"Ay, to you, lad. But some of them brought small pleasure to your sister, I'm thinking," said Nancy sharply. "You're a wise lad, but you dinna ken everything that came in those old times, as you call them."

"But some of the things that I like best to remember happened on some of the very worst of those days," said Lilias. "I should never have known half your goodness, for one thing. Do you mind that last day that I came to you? Oh, how weary I was that day!"

"And much good I did you," said Nancy.

"Indeed you did, more than I could tell you then, more than I can tell you now," said Lilias, giving the last touch to the flowers as she rose.

"I like to think of those days. We are all the happier now for the troubles of the old times."

"And truly I think you'll ay be but the happier for whatever time may bring you," said Nancy musingly, as she watched them hastening over the hill together. "'To mind us of the old times,'" quoth she. "There are few folk but would be glad to forget, and to make others forget, 'the hole of the pit.' And look at these flowers, now! Who but Lilias Elder would think of a poor body like me caring for what is good neither to eat nor to drink? She's like no one else. And as for her brother, he's not so set up as folk might expect. May they be kept safe from the world's taint and stain! I suppose the Lord can do it. I'm sure He can. 'The law of the Lord is in his heart, none of his steps shall slide.' She said it of her brother once; and if it is true of him it's true of her. It is that that makes the difference. They have no cause to be afraid, even though 'the earth be removed.' Eh! but it is a grand thing to have the Lord on our side! Nothing can go far wrong with us then."