"I've enjoyed the walk," said Derek. "Shall I come in at this door?"
"Well, I expect you can come in at any door you please. It's your house. But if I was you, I'd go round and come in at the front. It'd be more seemly for the master."
Derek laughed. "I think I shall come this way if you don't mind. It looks rather more cheerful."
The young men had got to their feet, but the girl, evidently overcome by shyness, sat with her face hidden in the curve of her arm, supported by the back of her chair.
Mrs. Machin put the dog outside and shut the door sharply. She said:
"Now you are in the kitchen, Mr. Vale, I may as well name over these idle rascals to you. The two playing dominoes are Bob Gunn and John Newbigging. Bob used to be in the Chube Wur-rks in Glesca, he says. He means he used to be in the Tube Works in Glasgow." The bulletheaded youth grinned. "John Newbigging has been all over creation and he has an old mother in Dundee he never writes to. Perhaps you'll be able to stop him and Bob quarrelling as to which is the worst city, Glesca or Auld Reekie. I can't." Both men burst into embarrassed laughs, and Newbigging said, "It's no fair, Mrs. Machin, to be tryin' to prejudice Mr. Vale against us frae the start."
"This one," proceeded Mrs. Machin, indicating the honest-faced fellow, who still kept near the girl, "is Hugh McKay. He's a Galloway shepherd, and he'll talk about sheep to you all day long if you'll let him." McKay came forward with dignity and held out his hand.
"Mrs. Machin 'd be givin' us all a character," he said.
"Well, I'm prepared to do a good deal of talking about sheep," said Derek, shaking the proffered brown hand, and liking McKay at once.
