Greta looked around with the bewildered gaze of a lost lambkin.
"Mother," said Paul, "she stole a march on me."
"He was the thief, Mrs. Ritson; you believe me, don"t you?"
"Me! why I never stole anything in my life--save one thing."
"And what was that, pray?" said Greta, with another mighty innocent look.
Paul crept up to her side and whispered something over her shoulder, whereupon she eyed him largely, and said with a quick smile:
"You don"t say so! But please don"t be too certain of it. I"m sure I never heard of that theft."
"Then here"s a theft you shall hear of," said Paul, throwing one arm about her neck and tipping up her chin.
There was a sudden gleam of rosy, roguish lips. Old Allan, with mischief dancing in his eyes, pretended to recover them from a more distant sight.
"Er--why, what"s that?" he said; "the sneck of a gate, eh?"
Greta drew herself up.
"How can you--and all the people looking--they might really think that we were--we were--"
Paul came behind, put his head over one shoulder, and said:
"And we"re not, are we?"
"They"re weel matched, mother, eh?" said Allan, turning to his wife.
"They"re marra-to-bran, as folks say. Greta, he"s a girt b.o.o.by, isn"t he?"
Greta stepped up to the old man, and with a familiar gesture laid a hand on his arm. At the same moment Paul came to his side. Allan tapped his son on the back.
"Thou girt lang b.o.o.by," he said, and laughed heartily. All the shadows that had hung over him were gone. "And how"s Parson Christian?" he asked in another tone.
"Well, quite well, and as dear an old soul as ever," said Greta.
"He"s father and mother to thee baith, my la.s.s. I never knew thy awn father. He was dead and gone before we coom"t to these parts. And thy mother, too, G.o.d bless her! she"s dead and gone now. But if this lad of mine, this Paul, this girt lang--Ah, and here"s Mr. Bonnithorne, and Hughie, too."
The return of the lawyer and Hugh Ritson abridged the threat of punishment that seemed to hang on the old man"s lips.
Hugh Ritson"s lifted eyes had comprehended everything. The girl leaning over his father"s arm; the pure, smooth cheeks close to the swarthy, weather-beaten, comfortable old face; the soft gaze upward full of feeling; the half-open lips and the teeth like pearls; then the glance round, half of mockery, half of protest, altogether of unconquerable love, to where Paul Ritson stood, his eyes just breaking into a smile; the head, the neck, the arms, the bosom still heaving gently after the race; the light loose costume--Hugh Ritson saw it all, and his heart beat fast. His pale face whitened at that moment, and his infirm foot trailed heavily on the gravel.
Allan shook hands with Mr. Bonnithorne, and then turned to his sons.
"Come, you two lads have not been gude friends latterly, and that"s a sair grief baith to your mother and me. You"re not made in the same mold seemingly. But you must mak" up your fratch, my lads, for your auld folks" sake, if nowt else."
At this he stretched out both arms, as if with the intention of joining their hands. Hugh made a gesture of protestation.
"I have no quarrel to make up," he said, and turned aside.
Paul held out his hand. "Shake hands, Hugh," he said. Hugh took the proffered hand with unresponsive coldness.
Paul glanced into his brother"s face a moment, and said:
"What"s the use of breeding malice? It"s a sort of live stock that"s not worth its fodder, and it eats up everything."
There was a scarcely perceptible curl on Hugh Ritson"s lip, but he turned silently away. With head on his breast, he walked toward the porch.
"Stop!"
It was old Allan"s voice. The deep tone betrayed the anger that was choking him. His face was flushed, his eyes were stern, his lips trembled.
"Come back and shak" hands wi" thy brother reet."
Hugh Ritson faced about, leaning heavily on his infirm foot.
"Why to-day more than yesterday or to-morrow?" he said, calmly.
"Come back, I tell thee!" shouted the old man more hotly.
Hugh maintained his hold of himself, and said in a quiet and even voice, "I am no longer a child."
"Then bear thysel" like a man--not like a whipped hound."
The young man shuddered secretly from head to foot. His eyes flashed for an instant. Then, recovering his self-control, he said:
"Even a dog would resent such language, sir."
Greta had dropped aside from the painful scene, and for a moment Hugh Ritson"s eyes followed her.
"I"ll have no sec worriment in my house," shouted the old man in a broken voice. "Those that live here must live at peace. Those that want war must go."
Hugh Ritson could bear up no longer.
"And what is your house to me, sir? What has it done for me? The world is wide."
Old Allan was confounded. Silent, dumb, with great staring eyes, he looked round into the faces of those about him. Then in thick, choking tones he shouted:
"Shak" thy brother"s hand, or thou"rt no brother of his."
"Perhaps not," said Hugh very quietly.
"Shak" hands, I tell thee." The old man"s fists were clinched. His body quivered in every limb.
His son"s lips were firmly set; he made no answer.
The old man s.n.a.t.c.hed from Mr. Bonnithorne the stick he carried. At this Hugh lifted his eyes sharply until they met the eyes of his father.
Allan was transfixed. The stick fell from his hand. Then Hugh Ritson halted into the house.