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She was the old woman with the nut-cracker face on whom he had cried in, more than a year ago, to say that Gavinia was to have him. Her mud cottage had been near the Slugs. Yes, and this was the boy who had been supping porridge with her. Corp guessed rightly that the boy had remembered his unlucky visit. "I'm doomed!" Corp muttered to himself pronouncing it in another way.
"There's many a woman that could help it," said Gavinia, tartly, for the honour of her sex, "but she's no are o' them." To be candid, Gavinia was not one of them herself. "I'm thinking she's terrible fond o' him," she said, "and I'm nain sure that he has treated her weel." "Woman, take care; say a word agin him and I'll mittle you!" Corp thundered, and she desisted in fear.
David's words showed her too suddenly how she had changed, and it was then that she broke down before him because she had ceased to care for housekeeping. But she had her way, and early in the new year David and his wife were established in their new home, with all Grizel's furniture, except such as was needed for the two rooms rented by her from Gavinia.
The maid seemed to understand, for she replied, promptly, "I hope he will." "But he hasna spiered her as yet, you think?" "No," she said, "no, but he calls her Ailie, and wi' the gentry it's but one loup frae that to spiering." "Maybe," answered the doctor, "but it's a loup they often bogle at. I'se uphaud he's close on fifty, Gavinia?"
"It was like a t' knife intil me," replied loyal Corp; "every time I forswore you it was like a t' knife, but I did it, ay, and I'll go on doing it if you think my friendship cheapens you." Tommy was much moved, and gripped his old lieutenant by the hand. He also called Gavinia ben, and, before she could ward him off, the masterful rogue had saluted her on the cheek.
Or, "Would you no like to be so michty beautiful, ma'am, that as soon as the men saw your bonny face they just up wi' you in their arms and ran?" Or again, "What's the heaviest weight o' a woman a grand lusty man could carry in his arms as if she were an infant?" This method of conveyance seemed to have a peculiar fascination for Gavinia, and she got herself weighed at the flesher's.
Her great friend at this time was Corp; because he still retained his faith in Tommy. She could always talk of Tommy to Corp. How loyal Corp was! He still referred to Tommy as "him." Gavinia, much distressed, read aloud to Corp a newspaper attack on the political article, and all he said was, "He'll find a wy."
He had made this up on the way. He also wanted to say, so desirous was he of pleasing his old friends, that he should like to hold the baby in his arms; but it was such a thundering lie that even an author could not say it. Tommy sat down in that house with a very warm heart for its inmates; but they chilled him Gavinia with her stiff words, and Corp by looking miserable instead of joyous.
"But to think of your caring, Corp!" "I care most michty," he replied, with terrific earnestness. "I must try to satisfy you, then," she said, smiling. "But, Corp, please don't discuss me with Gavinia." This request embarrassed him, for soon again he did not know how to act. There was Grizel's strange behaviour with the child, for instance.
Religion, however, stopped her when she had got the little finger out, and the Misses Finlayson, who sat behind and knew she had an itchy something inside her glove, concluded that it was her threepenny for the plate. As for Gavinia, like others of her class in those days, she had never heard of engagement rings, and so it really seemed as if Mr. McLean must call on the doctor after all.
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