'Wha' was chasin' ye?' Christina inquired, as Macgregor came
breathless to the counter, which she was tidying up for the night.
'I was feart I was gaun to be late.' he panted.
'I wud ha'e excused ye under the unique circumstances,' she said
graciously. 'Sit doon an' recover yer puff.'
He took the chair, saying: 'It was Wullie Thomson. He's awa' to
enlist.'
'Wullie Thomson! Weel, that's a bad egg oot the basket. Hoo did
ye manage it, Mac?'
'It wasna me,' Macgregor replied, not a little regretfully. 'He's
enlistin' to please hissel'. He says he's fed up wi' his aunt.'
'She's been feedin' him up for a lang while, puir body. But ye're
a queer lad,' she said softly, 'the way ye stick to a fushionless
character like him. I was tellin' Miss Tod,' she continued,
'aboot----'
'Oor engagement!' he burst out, scarlet.
'Whist, man!--ye've a wild imagination!--aboot ye enlistin'. She's
been in a state o' patriotic tremulosity ever since. Dinna be
surprised if she tries for to kiss ye.'
'I wud be mair surprised,' said Macgregor, with unexpected
boldness, 'if you tried it.'
'Naething could exceed ma ain amazement,' she rejoined, 'if I did.'
'I've got the ring,' he announced, his hand in his pocket.
'Order! Remember, I'm still at the receipt o' custom--three
bawbees since seeven o'clock.'
'I hope ye'll like it,' he said, reluctantly withdrawing his hand
empty. 'Miss Tod canna hear us, can she?'
'Ye never can tell what a spinster'll hear when she's interested.
At present she's nourishin' hersel' on tea--her nineteenth cup for
the day; but she'll be comin' shortly to embrace ye an' shut the
shop. I micht as weel get on ma hat. . . . An' 'what did yer
parents say to ye?'
'They said ye was an awfu' nice, clever, bonny, handsome lassie----'
'Tit, tit! Aboot the enlistin', I meant. But I'll no ask ye that.
They wud be prood, onyway.'
'Ma uncle's raised ma wages, an' they're to be payed a' the time
I'm awa'.'
'Shakespeare! That's a proper uncle to ha'e! But dinna be tempted
to stop awa' till ye're a millionaire. Oh, here's Miss Tod. Keep
calm. She'll no bite ye.'
The little elderly woman who entered had made the acquaintance of
Macgregor in his early courting days, especially during the period
wherein he had squandered his substance in purchases of innumerable
and unnecessary lead pencils, etcetera, doubtless with a view to
acquiring merit in her eyes as well as in her assistant's.
She now proceeded to hold his hand, patting it tenderly, while she
murmured 'brave lad' over and over again, to his exquisite
embarrassment.
'But ye'll bate the nesty Rooshians, dearie--I meant for to say the
Prooshians, Christina--an' ye'll come marchin' hame a conductor or
an inspector, or whatever they ca' it, wi' medals on yer breist an'
riches in yer purse----'
'An' rings on his fingers an' bells----'
'Noo, noo, lassie, ye're no to mak' fun o' me! Whaur's his case?'
Christina handed her an aluminium cigarette case--the best in the
shop--and she presented it to Macgregor, saying: 'Ye're no to gang
an' hurt yer health wi' smokin'; but when ye tak' a ceegarette,
ye'll maybe gi'e a thocht to an auld body that'll be rememberin'
ye, baith mornin' an' nicht.'
'If he smokes his usual, he'll be thinkin' o' ye every twinty
meenutes,' remarked the girl, and drawing on her gloves, she came
round to the door in order to close an interview which threatened
to become lugubrious for all parties.
* * * * *
'Everybody's terrible kind,' Macgregor observed, when he found
himself alone with Christina on the pavement. 'Will ye look at the
ring noo?'
She shook her head and stepped out briskly.
After a little while he revived. 'I hope ye'll like it, Christina.
It's got pearls on it. I hope it'll fit ye.' A long pause. 'I
wish ye wud say something.'
'What'll I say?'
'Onything. I never heard ye dumb afore.'
'Maybe I'm reformin'.'
'Christina!'
'That's ma name, but ye needna tell everybody.'
'Dinna tease. We--we ha'e awfu' little time. Tak' aff yer glove
an' try the ring. Naebody'll notice. Ye can look at it later on.'
'I'm no in the habit o' acceptin' rings frae young men.'
'But--but we're engaged.'
'That's news, but I doobt it's no official.'
'At least we're near engaged. Say we are, Christina.'
'This is most embarrassing, Mr. Robinson.'
'Aw, Christina!' said the boy, helplessly.
She let him remain in silent suspense for several minutes, until,
in fact, they turned into the quiet street of her abode. Then she
casually remarked:
'Ma han's gettin' cauld wantin' its glove, Mac.'
He seized it joyfully and endeavoured to put the ring on. 'It's
ower wee!' he cried, aghast.
'That's ma middle finger.'