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"Laird!" answered the farmer, not a little moved, "there's no a man I wad raither see at my wark nor yersel'. A' o' them, men an' women, work the better whan ye're amo' them. They wad be affrontit no to haud up wi' a gentleman! Sae come awa' an' walcome! ye'll tak something afore we fa'tu?" Cosmo accepted a jug of milk, half cream, from the hand of Elsie.
Malcolm laughed, and she could not help joining him. "Ye maun come the morn an' chise yer ain room i' the Hoose," he said. "What mean ye by that, laddie?" "At ye'll ha'e to come an' bide wi' me noo." "'Deed an' I s' du naething o' the kin', Ma'colm! H'ard ever onybody sic nonsense! What wad I du wi' Jean? An' I cudna thole men fowk to wait upo' me. I wad be clean affrontit."
Na, na, laddie! frae my verra hert, I wuss he may be that affrontit wi' himsel' 'at he canna sae muckle as lift up's een to h'aven, but maun smite upo' 's breist an' say, 'God be mercifu' to me a sinner! That's my curse upo' him, for I wadna hae 'im a deevil. Whan he comes to think that shame o' himsel', I'll tak him to my hert, as I tak the bairn he misguidit.
Thoroughly ashamed of himself, Donal threw his book from him, and ran to meet Gibbie. "Ye maunna fling stanes, cratur," he said. "Haith! it's no for me to fin' fau't, though," he added, "sittin' readin' buiks like a gowk 'at I am, an' lattin' the beasts rin wull amo' the corn, 'at's weel peyed to haud them oot o' 't! I'm clean affrontit wi' mysel', cratur."
"Weel, there's ae thing clear: ye'll never ken what to do sae lang's ye hing on aboot a stable, fu' o' fower fittet animals wantin' sense an' some twa fittet 'at has less." "I doobt ye're richt there, mem; and gien I cud but tak puir Kelpie awa' wi' me " "Hoots! I'm affrontit wi ye. Kelpie quo he! Preserve's a'! The laad 'ill lat his ain sister gang, an' bide at hame wi' a mere!"
"I'm jist affrontit wi' the bairn!" she replied, with manifest annoyance in her flushed face. "She's true to him," said Malcolm, "gien she binna fair to me. Sayna a word to the lassie. She 'll ken me better or lang. An' noo for my story."
Eh, but sic maun be sair affrontit wi' themsels, that disgrace at ance the wife that should hae been and the bairn that shouldna! Eh, the puir bairnie that has sic a father! But he has anither as weel a richt gran' father to rin til!
Ae thing I'm set upon, and that is, to deliver my sowl frae hypocrisy, and walk softly a' the rest o' my days! Happy man wad I hae been, had they set me frae the first to caw the pleuch, and cut the corn, and gether the stooks intil the barn i'stead o' creepin intil a leaky boat to fish for men wi' a foul and tangled net! I'm affrontit and jist scunnert at mysel! Eh, the presumption o' the thing!
Malcolm laughed, and she could not help joining him. "Ye maun come the morn an' chise yer ain room i' the Hoose," he said. "What mean ye by that, laddie?" "'At ye'll hae to come an' bide wi' me noo." "'Deed an' I s' du naething o' the kin', Ma'colm. H'ard ever onybody sic nonsense? What wad I du wi' Jean? An' I cudna thole men-fowk to wait upo' me: I wad be clean affrontit."
"I hae seen him tee; but he's a gran' gentleman grown, an' I wadna like to be affrontit layin' claim till's acquaintance, walcome as he ance was to my hoose!" She had more reason for the doubt and hesitation she thus expressed than Donal knew. But his answer was none the less the true one as regarded his friend. "Ye little ken Gibbie," he said "gien ye think that gait o' 'im!
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