to afore the morrow"s morn?" answered Jock stoutly.
"But d"ye ken," said John Scott, the theological herd, who had quietly "daundered doon" as he said, from his cot-house up on the hill, where his bare-legged bairns played on the heather and short gra.s.s all day, to set his shoulder against the gable end for an hour with the rest.
"D"ye ken what Maister Welsh was sayin" was the new doctrine amang thae New Licht Moderates--"hireling shepherds," he ca"d them? Noo I"m no on mysel" wi" sae muckle speakin" aboot the deil. But the minister was sayin" that the New Moderates threep [a.s.sert] that there"s nae deil at a". He dee"d some time since!"
"Gae wa" wi" ye, John Scott! wha"s gaun aboot doin" sae muckle ill then, I wad like to ken?" said Meg Kissock.
"Dinna tell me," said Jock Gordon, "that the puir deil"s deed, and that we"ll hae to pit up wi" Ebie Farrish. Na, na, Jock"s maybe daft, but he kens better than that!"
"They say," said John Scott, pulling meditatively at his cutty, "that the pooer is vested noo in a kind o" comy-tee [committee]!"
"I dinna haud wi" comy-tees mysel"," replied Meg; "it"s juist haein" mony maisters, ilka yin mair cankersome and thrawn than anither!"
"Weel, gin this news be true, there"s a heep o" fowk in this parish should be mentioned in his wull," said Jock Gordon, significantly. "They"re near kin till him--forby a heep o" bairns that he has i" the laich-side o" the loch. They"re that hard there, they"ll no gie a puir body a meal o" meat or the shelter o"
a barn."
"But," said Ebie Farrish, who had been thinking that, after all, the new plan might have its conveniences, "gin there"s nae deil to tempt, there"ll be nae deil to punish."
But the herd was a staunch Marrow man. He was not led away by any human criticism, nor yet by the new theology.
"New Licht here, New Licht there," he said; "I canna" pairt wi" ma deil. Na, na, that"s ower muckle to expect o" a man o" my age!"
Having thus defined his theological position, without a word more he threw his soft checked plaid of Galloway wool over his shoulders, and fell into the herd"s long swinging heather step, mounting the steep brae up to his cot on the hillside as easily as if he were walking along a level road.
There was a long silence; then a ringing sound, sudden and sharp, and Ebie Farrish fell inexplicably from the axe-chipped hag-clog, which he had rolled up to sit upon. Ebie had been wondering for more than an hour what would happen if he put his arm round Jess Kissock"s waist. He knew now.
Then, after a little Saunders Mowdiewort, who was not unmindful of his prearranged programme nor yet oblivious of the flight of time, saw the stars come out, he knew that if he were to make any progress, he must make haste; so he leaned over towards his sweetheart and whispered, "Meg, my la.s.s, ye"re terrible bonny."
"D"ye think ye are the first man that has telled me that, cuif?"
said Meg, with point and emphasis.
Jock Forrest, the senior ploughman--a very quiet, sedate man with a seldom stirred but pretty wit, laughed a short laugh, as though he knew something about that. Again there was a silence, and as the night wind began to draw southward in cool gulps of air off the hills, Winsome Charteris"s window was softly closed.
"Hae ye nocht better than that to tell us, cuif?" said Meg, briskly, "nocht fresh-like?"
"Weel," said Saunders Mowdiewort, groping round for a subject of general interest, his profession and his affection being alike debarred, "there"s that young Enbra" lad that"s come till the manse. He"s a queer root, him."
"What"s queer aboot him?" asked Meg, in a semi-belligerent manner.
A young man who had burned his fingers for her mistress"s sake must not be lightly spoken of.
"Oh, nocht to his discredit ava, only Manse Bell heard him arguin"
wi" the minister aboot the weemen-folk the day that he cam". He canna" bide them, she says."
"He has but puir taste," said Ebie Farrish; "a snod bit la.s.s is the bonniest work o" Natur". Noo for mysel"--"
"D"ye want anither?" asked Jess, without apparent connection.
"He"ll maybe mend o" that opeenion, as mony a wise man has dune afore him," said Meg, sententiously. "Gae on, cuif; what else aboot the young man?"
"Oh, he"s a lad o" great lear. He can read ony language back or forrit, up or doon, as easy as suppin" sowens. He can speak byordinar" graund. They say he"ll beat the daddy o" him for preachin" when he"s leecensed. He rade Birsie this mornin" too, after the kickin" randie had cuist me aff his back like a draff sack."
"Then what"s queer aboot him?" said Jess.
Meg said nothing. She felt a draft of air suck into Winsome"s room, so that she knew that the subject was of such interest that her mistress had again opened her window. Meg leaned back so far that she could discern a glint of yellow hair in the darkness.
The cuif was about to light his pipe. Meg stopped him.
"Nane o" yer lichts here, cuif," she said; "it"s time ye were thinkin" aboot gaun ower the hill. But ye haena" telled us yet what"s queer aboot the lad."
"Weel, woman, he"s aye write--writin", whiles on sheets o" paper, and whiles on buiks."
"There"s nocht queer aboot that," says Meg; "so does ilka minister."
"But Manse Bell gied me ane o" his writings, that she had gotten aboot his bedroom somewhere. She said that the wun" had blawn"t aff his table, but I misdoot her."
"Yer ower great wi" Manse Bell an" the like o" her, for a man that comes to see me!" said Meg, who was a very particular young woman indeed.
"It was cutt.i.t intil lengths like the metre psalms, but it luikit gye an" daft like, sae I didna" read it," said the cuif hastily.
"Here it"s to ye, Meg. I was e"en gaun to licht my cutty wi"t."
Something shone gray-white in Saunders"s hand as he held it out to Meg, It pa.s.sed into Meg"s palm, and then was seen no more.
The session at the house end was breaking up. Jess had vanished silently. Ebie Farrish was not. Jock Forrest had folded his tent and stolen away. Meg and Saunders were left alone. It was his supreme opportunity.
He leaned over towards his sweetheart. His blue bonnet had fallen to the ground, and there was a distinct odour of warm candle- grease in the air.
"Meg," he said, "yer maist amazin" bonny, an" I"m that fond o" ye that I am faain" awa" frae my meat! O Meg, woman, I think o" ye i"
the mornin" afore the Lord"s Prayer, I sair misdoot! Guid forgie me! I find mysel" whiles wonderin" gin I"ll see ye the day afore I can gang ower in my mind the graves that"s to howk, or gin Birsie"s oats are dune. O Meg, Meg, I"m that fell fond o" ye that I gruppit that thrawn speldron Birsie"s hint leg juist i" the fervour o" thinkin" o" ye."
"Hoo muckle hae ye i" the week?" said Meg, practically, to bring the matter to a point.
"A pound a week," said Saunders Mowdiewort, promptly, who though a cuif was a business man, "an" a cottage o" three rooms wi" a graun" view baith back an" front!"
"Ow aye," said Meg, sardonically, "I ken yer graund view. It"s o"
yer last wife"s tombstane, wi" the inscriptions the length o" my airm aboot Betty Mowdiewort an" a" her virtues, that Robert Paterson cutt.i.t till ye a year past in Aprile. Na, na, ye"ll no get me to leeve a" my life lookin" oot on that ilk" time I wash my dishes. It wad mak" yin be wantin" to dee afore their time to get sic-like. Gang an" speer [ask] Manse Bell. She"s mair nor half blind onyway, an" she"s fair girnin" fain for a man, she micht even tak" you."
With these cruel words Meg lifted her milking-stool and vanished within. The cuif sat for a long time on his byne lost in thought.
Then he arose, struck his flint and steel together, and stood looking at the tinder burning till it went out, without having remembered to put it to the pipe which he held in his other hand.
After the last sparks ran every way and flickered, he threw the glowing red embers on the ground, kicked the pail on which he had been sitting as solemnly as if he had been performing a duty to the end of the yard, and then stepped stolidly into the darkness.
The hag-clog was now left alone against the wall beneath Winsome"s window, within which there was now the light of a candle and a waxing and waning shadow on the blind as some one went to and fro.
Then there was a sharp noise as of one clicking in the "steeple"
or brace of the front door (which opened in two halves), and then the metallic grit of the key in the lock, for Craig Ronald was a big house, and not a mere farm which might be left all night with unbarred portals.
Winsome stepped lightly to her own door, which opened without noise. She looked out and said, in a compromise between a coaxing whisper and a voice of soft command:
"Meg, I want ye."
Meg Kissock came along the pa.s.sage with the healthy glow of the night air on her cheeks, and her candle in her hand. She seemed as if she would pause at the door, but Winsome motioned her imperiously within. So Meg came within, and Winsome shut to the door. Then she simply held out her hand, at which Meg gazed as silently.