第48章

'I dinna understan' that, Mistress Faukner,' said Miss Lammie.

'I'm sae sure o' haein' 't back again, ye ken,--wi' interest,'

returned Mrs.Falconer.

'Hoo's that? His father winna con ye ony thanks for haudin' him in life.'

'He that giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord, ye ken, Miss Lammie.'

'Atweel, gin ye like to lippen to that bank, nae doobt ae way or anither it'll gang to yer accoont,' said Miss Lammie.

'It wad ill become us, ony gait,' said her father, 'nae to gie him shelter for your sake, Mrs.Faukner, no to mention ither names, sin'

it's yer wull to mak the puir lad ane o' the family.--They say his ain mither's run awa' an' left him.'

''Deed she's dune that.'

'Can ye mak onything o' 'im?'

'He's douce eneuch.An' Robert says he does nae that ill at the schuil.'

'Weel, jist fess him wi' ye.We'll hae some place or ither to put him intil, gin it suld be only a shak'-doon upo' the flure.'

'Na, na.There's the schuilin'--what's to be dune wi' that?'

'They can gang i' the mornin', and get their denner wi' Betty here;and syne come hame to their fower-hoors (four o'clock tea) whan the schule's ower i' the efternune.'Deed, mem, ye maun jist come for the sake o' the auld frien'ship atween the faimilies.'

'Weel, gin it maun be sae, it maun be sae,' yielded Mrs.Falconer, with a sigh.

She had not left her own house for a single night for ten years.

Nor is it likely she would have now given in, for immovableness was one of the most marked of her characteristics, had she not been so broken by mental suffering, that she did not care much about anything, least of all about herself.

Innumerable were the instructions in propriety of behaviour which she gave the boys in prospect of this visit.The probability being that they would behave just as well as at home, these instructions were considerably unnecessary, for Mrs.Falconer was a strict enforcer of all social rules.Scarcely less unnecessary were the directions she gave as to the conduct of Betty, who received them all in erect submission, with her hands under her apron.She ought to have been a young girl instead of an elderly woman, if there was any propriety in the way her mistress spoke to her.It proved at least her own belief in the description she had given of her to Miss Lammie.

'Noo, Betty, ye maun be dooce.An' dinna stan' at the door i' the gloamin'.An' dinna stan' claikin' an' jawin' wi' the ither lasses whan ye gang to the wall for watter.An' whan ye gang intil a chop, dinna hae them sayin' ahint yer back, as sune's yer oot again, "She's her ain mistress by way o'," or sic like.An' min' ye hae worship wi' yersel', whan I'm nae here to hae 't wi' ye.Ye can come benn to the parlour gin ye like.An' there's my muckle Testament.And dinna gie the lads a' thing they want.Gie them plenty to ait, but no ower muckle.Fowk suld aye lea' aff wi' an eppiteet.'

Mr.Lammie brought his gig at last, and took grannie away to Bodyfauld.When the boys returned from school at the dinner-hour, it was to exult in a freedom which Robert had never imagined before.

But even he could not know what a relief it was to Shargar to eat without the awfully calm eyes of Mrs.Falconer watching, as it seemed to him, the progress of every mouthful down that capacious throat of his.The old lady would have been shocked to learn how the imagination of the ill-mothered lad interpreted her care over him, but she would not have been surprised to know that the two were merry in her absence.She knew that, in some of her own moods, it would be a relief to think that that awful eye of God was not upon her.But she little thought that even in the lawless proceedings about to follow, her Robert, who now felt such a relief in her absence, would be walking straight on, though blindly, towards a sunrise of faith, in which he would know that for the eye of his God to turn away from him for one moment would be the horror of the outer darkness.

Merriment, however, was not in Robert's thoughts, and still less was mischief.For the latter, whatever his grandmother might think, he had no capacity.The world was already too serious, and was soon to be too beautiful for mischief.After that, it would be too sad, and then, finally, until death, too solemn glad.The moment he heard of his grandmother's intended visit, one wild hope and desire and intent had arisen within him.

When Betty came to the parlour door to lay the cloth for their dinner, she found it locked.