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When he had rejoined Ratcliffe, he observed, "You are right, Ratton; there's no making much of that lassie. But ae thing I have cleared that is, that Robertson has been the father of the bairn, and so I will wager a boddle it will be he that's to meet wi' Jeanie Deans this night at Muschat's Cairn, and there we'll nail him, Rat, or my name is not Gideon Sharpitlaw."
"Where is the silly bairn gaun?" said Dumbiedikes; and, laying hold of her hand, he led her into the house. "It's no that I didna think o't before," he said, "but it stack in my throat." Thus speaking to himself, he led her into an old-fashioned parlour, shut the door behind them, and fastened it with a bolt.
"Woe's me! woe's me!" said she; "what will all that we can do avail us, brother? What will resistance do but bring sure destruction on the house, and on the bairn Edith! for, God knows, I thinkna on my ain auld life."
"However, I could get nought but screams and cries o' terror out o' the little innocent; so I cried all round the moor at the very pitch o' my voice, 'Holloa! be there any one within hearing that has lost a bairn? But I am thinking that I might have cried till now, and nobody would have answered, for it is my belief the bairn came there by magic!
"I'm hoping it will not be, Nellie. I'll do my best to stop it." "But, Hector, why did you support him a moment ago?" He flapped a hand to indicate a knowledge of his own incomprehensible conduct. "She'd called for him, Nellie. Poor bairn, her heart went out to the one she knew would help her, and, by God, Nellie, I felt for her! You're a woman, Nellie.
The lights from the street lamps flickered on the up-turned, anxious faces. Some of the children had begun to weep. Women offered loud suggestions. There were surmises that Bobby had been run over by a cart in the street, and angry conjectures that he had been stolen. Then Ailie wailed: "Oh, Maister Traill, the bittie dog's deid!" "Havers, lassie! I'm ashamed o' ye for a fulish bairn.
Her rough brother Wattie teased her about wanting her supper there on one plate with Bobby. "I wadna gang daft aboot a bit dog, Elsie." "Leave the bairn by 'er lane," commanded the farmer. The mither patted the child's bright head, and wiped the tears from the bluebell eyes. And there was a little sobbing confidence poured into a sympathetic ear.
So the shepherds go a little sadly. "Fair winds may there be, but love there is none this year," says one. "Gave ye the child anything?" says another. "I trow not a farthing." "Then back will I go," says the third shepherd, "abide ye there." And back he goes full of his kindly thought. "Mak," he says, "with your leave let me give your bairn but sixpence."
No, I cannot," she continued, with an appearance of rage against herself; "I have thought of it I have tried it but, Francis Levitt, I canna gang through wi't Na, na he was the first bairn I ever nurst ill I had been and man can never ken what woman feels for the bairn she has held first to her bosom!"
Hae patience they telled me aye that was the owercome o' life hae patience, there's a braw day coming yet. Gude kens it never cam' to me; and here I am, wi' nayther man nor bairn to ca' my ain, wearying a' folks wi' my ill tongue, and you just the first, Mr. Erchie!" "I have a difficulty in knowing what you mean," said Archie. "Weel, and I'll tell ye," she said. "It's just this, that I'm feared.
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