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Steenie's voice ceased, and Kirsty, thinking his prayer had come to an end, knocked at the door, lest her sudden appearance should startle him. From his knees, as she knew by the sound of his rising, Steenie sprang up, came darting to the door with the cry, 'It's yersel! It's yersel, bonny man! and seemed to tear it open. Oh, how sorry was Kirsty to stand where the loved of the human was not!
Sen' him to me, and I'll persuaud him. Dauvid, man, ye'll hae to saiddle and ride; the doctor maun gang wi' ye straught to Steenie's hoose. 'Lat me up, said David, making a motion to free himself of the bedclothes. Kirsty went, and got some milk to make it hot. But when she reached the kitchen, Steenie was not there, and the fire, which he had tried to wake up, was all but black.
But long before she was well, his family saw that the change for the better which had been evident in Steenie's mental condition for some time before Phemy's illness, was now manifesting itself plainly in his person. The intense compassion which, that memorable morning, roused his spirit even to the glorifying of his visage, seemed now settling in his looks and clarifying them.
'I thoucht ye wud be efter me! cried Steenie, as she opened the door of his burrow, within an hour of his leaving the house. Now Kirsty had expected to find him full of grief because of Phemy's going, especially as the heartless girl, for such Steenie's sister could not help thinking her, never said good-bye to her most loving slave.
He did not raise his head when she entered, and heard her as if he did not hear. She wondered a little and waited. After a few moments of silence, he said quietly, without looking up 'Are ye awaur o' onything by ord'nar, Kirsty? 'Na, naething, father, answered Kirsty, wondering still. 'It's been beirin 'tsel in upo' me at my bench here, 'at Steenie's aboot the place the nicht.
"Aweel, aweel, Maggie, ilka land has its ain lauch But where's Steenie the night, when a's come and gane? And where's the gudeman?"* "I hae putten the gudeman to his bed, for he was e'en sair forfain; and Steenie's awa out about some barns-breaking wi' the auld gaberlunzie, Edie Ochiltree: they'll be in sune, and ye can sit doun."
She heard the wind raving, but it sounded afar off. Who had guided her thither? One of Steenie's storm-angels, or the Shepherd of the sheep? It was all one, for the storm-angels were his sheep-dogs! She had been bewildered by the terrible beating of the snow-wind, but her own wandering was another's guiding! Beyond the turmoil of life and unutterably glad, she fell asleep, and the dream left her.
Once more the wind had ceased, but the snow was yet falling. Kirsty woke suddenly out of a deep, dreamless sleep. A white face was bending over her Steenie's whiter than ever Kirsty had seen it. He was panting, and his eyes were huge. She started up. 'Come; come! was all he was able to say. 'What's the metter, Steenie? she gasped. For a quarter of a minute he stood panting, unable to speak.
Such were not Steenie's words; indeed he used none concerning the matter; but such were his vague thoughts feelings rather, not yet thoughts. The spot had indeed many advantages. For one thing, the group of rocks was the ready skeleton of the house Steenie wanted. Again, if the snow sometimes lay deeper there than in other parts of the hill, there first it began to melt.
Steenie's unselfish solitude of soul made him every day dearer to her. She had no thought of distinguishing herself, no smallest ambition of becoming learned; her soul was athirst to understand, and what she understood found its way from her mind into her life. Much to the advantage of her thinking were her keen power and constant practice of observation.
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