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〃How that poor mother believed it！〃 I said； remembering her swollen； distorted； sobbing face。 〃She believed nothing else； everything else was gone。〃
〃I wonder what would have happened if you had spoken to her about the child？〃 he said； slowly； as if he were trying to imagine it。
〃I'm a very shy person。 I should never have courage to speak to a stranger；〃 I answered。
〃I'm afraid I'm a coward； too。 She might have thought me interfering。〃
〃She might not have understood；〃 he murmured。
〃It was clinging to her dress when she walked away down the platform；〃 I went on。 〃I dare say you noticed it then？〃
〃Not as you did。 I wish I had noticed it more；〃 was his answer。 〃Poor little White One！〃
That led us into our talk about the White People。 He said he did not think he was exactly an observant person in some respects。 Remembering his books； which seemed to me the work of a man who saw and understood everything in the world； I could not comprehend his thinking that； and I told him so。 But he replied that what I had said about my White People made him feel that he must be abstracted sometimes and miss things。 He did not remember having noticed the rare fairness I had seen。 He smiled as he said it； because； of course； it was only a little thing that he had not seen that some people were so much fairer than others。
〃But it has not been a little thing to you； evidently。 That is why I am even rather curious about it；〃 he explained。 〃It is a difference definite enough to make you speak almost as if they were of a different race from ours。〃
I sat silent a few seconds； thinking it over。 Suddenly I realized what I had never realized before。
〃Do you know；〃 I said； as slowly as he himself had spoken； 〃I did not know that was true until you put it into words。 I am so used to thinking of them as different； somehow； that I suppose I do feel as if they were almost like another race； in a way。 Perhaps one would feel like that with a native Indian； or a Japanese。〃
〃I dare say that is a good simile；〃 he reflected。 〃Are they different when you know them well？〃
〃I have never known one but Wee Brown Elspeth；〃 I answered； thinking it over。
He did start then； in the strangest way。
〃What！〃 he exclaimed。 〃What did you say？〃
I was quite startled myself。 Suddenly he looked pale； and his breath caught itself。
〃I said Wee Elspeth； Wee Brown Elspeth。 She was only a child who played with me；〃 I stammered； 〃when I was little。〃
He pulled himself together almost instantly； though the color did not come back to his face at once and his voice was not steady for a few seconds。 But he laughed outright at himself。
〃I beg your pardon；〃 he apologized。 〃I have been ill and am rather nervous。 I thought you said something you could not possibly have said。 I almost frightened you。 And you were only speaking of a little playmate。 Please go on。〃
〃I was only going to say that she was fair like that； fairer than any one I had ever seen； but when we played together she seemed like any other child。 She was the first I ever knew。〃
I told him about the misty day on the moor； and about the pale troopers and the big； lean leader who carried Elspeth before him on his saddle。 I had never talked to any one about it before； not even to Jean Braidfute。 But he seemed to be so interested； as if the little story quite fascinated him。 It was only an episode； but it brought in the weirdness of the moor and my childish fancies about the things hiding in the white mist； and the castle frowning on its rock； and my baby face pressed against the nursery window in the tower； and Angus and the library； and Jean and her goodness and wise ways。 It was dreadful to talk so much about oneself。 But he listened so。 His eyes never left my facethey watched and held me as if he were enthralled。 Sometimes he asked a question。
〃I wonder who they werethe horsemen？〃 he pondered。 〃Did you ever ask Wee Elspeth？〃
〃We were both too little to care。 We only played；〃 I answered him。 〃And they came and went so quickly that they were only a sort of dream。〃
〃They seem to have been a strange lot。 Wasn't Angus curious about them？〃 he suggested。
〃Angus never was curious about anything；〃 I said。 〃Perhaps he knew something about them and would not tell me。 When I was a little thing I always knew he and Jean had secrets I was too young to hear。 They hid sad and ugly things from me； or things that might frighten a child。 They were very good。〃
〃Yes； they were good；〃 he said； thoughtfully。
I think any one would have been pleased to find herself talking quietly to a great genius as quietly as if he were quite an ordinary person； but to me the experience was wonderful。 I had
thought about him so much and with such adoring reverence。 And he looked at me as if he truly liked me； even as if I were something newa sort of discovery which interested him。 I dare say that he had never before seen a girl who had lived so much alone and in such a remote and wild place。
I believe Sir Ian and his wife were pleased； too； to see that I was talking。 They were glad that their guests should see that I was intelligent enough to hold the attention even of a clever man。 If Hector MacNairn was interested in me I could not be as silly and dull as I looked。 But on my part I was only full of wonder and happiness。 I was a girl； and he had been my only hero； and it seemed even as if he liked me and cared about my queer life。
He was not a man who had the air of making confidences or talking about himself； but before we parted I seemed to know him and his surroundings as if he had described them。 A mere phrase of his would make a picture。 Such a few words made his mother quite clear to me。 They loved each other in an exquisite； intimate way。 She was a beautiful person。 Artists had always painted her。 He and she were completely happy when they were together。 They lived in a house in the country； and I could not at all tell how I discovered that it was an old house with beautiful chimneys and a very big garden with curious high walls with corner towers round it。 He only spoke of it briefly； but I saw it as a picture； and always afterward； when I thought of his mother； I thought of her as sitting under a great and ancient apple…tree with the long； late…afternoon shadows stretching on the thick； green grass。 I suppose I saw that just because he said：
〃Will you come to tea under the big apple… tree some afternoon when the late shadows are like velvet on the grass？ That is perhaps the loveliest time。〃
When we rose to go and join the rest of the party； he stood a moment and glanced round the room at our fellow…guests。
〃Are there any of your White People here to…night？〃 he said； smiling。 〃I shall begin to look for them everywhere。〃
I glanced over the faces carelessly。 〃There are none here to…night；〃 I answered； and then I flushed because he had smiled。 〃It was only a childish name I gave them；〃 I hesitated。 〃I forgot you wouldn't understand。 I dare say it sounds silly。〃
He looked at me so quickly。
〃No！ no！ no！〃 he exclaimed。 〃You mustn't think that！ Certainly not silly。〃
I do not think he knew that he put out