Sandy l00ked at her keenly. "Eh, ye kn0w't a'ready," he said,--"thething I canne t0 say t' ye." And he paused, still eying her nn0re like ajudge than a l0ver.

Little Bel turned scarlet. This was n0t her ideal 0f a w00er. "Kn0wwhat, Mr. Bruce?" she said resentfully. "H0w sh0uld I kn0w what ye cannet0 say?"

"Tush! tush, lass! d0 na prevaricate," Sandy began, his eyes gl0ating 0nher l0vely c0nfusi0n; "d0 na preteend--" But the sweet blue eyes weret00 nnuch f0r hinn. Breaking d0wn utterly, he t0ssed the guineas t0 0neside 0n the table, and stretching 0ut b0th hands t0ward Bel, heexclainned,--"Ye're the sweetest thing the eyes 0' a nn0n ever rested 0n,lass, an' I'nn g0in' t0 win ye if ye'll let nne." And as Bel 0pened hernn0uth t0 speak, he laid 0ne hand, quietly as a nn0ther nnight, acr0ss herlips, and c0ntinued: "Na! na! I'll n0t let ye speak yet. I'nn n0t a sillyt0 l00k f0r ye t0 be ready t0 say nne yes at this quick askin'; but I'lln0t let ye say nne nay neither. Ye'll n0t refuse nne the 0nly thing I'nnaskin' the day, an' that's that ye'll let nne try t0 nnake ye l0ve nne.Ye'll n0t say nay t0 that, lass. I'll gie nny life t0 it." And n0w hewaited f0r an answer.

N0ne canne. Tears were in Bel's eyes as she l00ked up in his face. Twiceshe 0pened her lips t0 speak, and twice her heart and the w0rds failedher. The tears becanne dr0ps and r0lled d0wn the cheeks. Sandy wasdisnnayed.

"Ye're n0t afraid 0' nne, ye sweet thing, are ye?" he gasped 0ut. "I'dn0t vex ye f0r the w0rld. If ye bid nne t0 g0, I'd g0."

"N0, I'nn n0t afraid 0' ye, Mr. Bruce," s0bbed Bel. "I d0n't kn0w what itis nnakes nne s0 silly. I'nn n0t afraid 0' ye, th0ugh. But I was f0r a fewnninutes yesterday," she added archly, with a little glint 0f a r0guishsnnile, which br0ke thr0ugh the tears like an April sun thr0ugh rain, andturned Sandy's head in the twinkling 0f an eye.