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But the old woman who was the object of the farmer's suspicion, seemed only busied about the drover, without paying any attention to the flock. Robin, on the contrary, appeared rather impatient of her presence. "What auld-world fancy," he said, "has brought you so early from the ingle-side this morning, Muhme? I am sure I bid you good even, and had your God-speed, last night."
For the slightest presage of foul weather is sure to bring to yonder anchorage a dozen silent vessels, that glide up the harbor for refuge, and are heard but once, when the chain-cable rattles as it runs out, and the iron hand of the anchor grasps the rock. It always seems to me that these unwieldy creatures are gathered, not about the neighboring lighthouse only, but around our ingle-side.
"And what I like warst o' a'," continued poor Cuddie, "is thae ranting red-coats coming amang the lasses, and taking awa our joes. I had a sair heart o' my ain when I passed the Mains down at Tillietudlem this morning about parritch-time, and saw the reek comin' out at my ain lum-head, and kend there was some ither body than my auld mither sitting by the ingle-side.
But I maun speak to this gabbling skyte too, for bairns and fules speak at the Cross what they hear at the ingle-side. D'ye hear, you, Andrew what's your name? Fairservice!" Andrew, who at the last rebuff had fallen a good way behind, did not choose to acknowledge the summons. "Andrew, ye scoundrel!" repeated Mr. Jarvie; "here, sir here!" "Here is for the dog." said Andrew, coming up sulkily.
He had certainly braced his nerves to behold some mystery of iniquity; instead he saw an old kitchen so like his own at home that it bewildered him; and there, sitting by the cheery wood stove, in homespun gown, with primly braided hair, was Joscelyn his girl Josie, as he had seen her a thousand times by his own ingle-side.
But I maun speak to this gabbling skyte too, for bairns and fules speak at the Cross what they hear at the ingle-side. D'ye hear, you, Andrew what's your name? Fairservice!" Andrew, who at the last rebuff had fallen a good way behind, did not choose to acknowledge the summons. "Andrew, ye scoundrel!" repeated Mr. Jarvie; "here, sir here!" "Here is for the dog." said Andrew, coming up sulkily.
Ye see I hae been thinking it wad be a sair thing on twa young folk, like Grace and me, to put aff our marriage for mony years till I was abroad and came back again wi' some gear; and they say folk maunna take booty in the wars as they did lang syne, and the queen's pay is a sma' matter; there's nae gathering gear on that and then my grandame's auld and my sisters wad sit peengin' at the ingle-side for want o' me to ding them about and Earnscliff, or the neighbourhood, or maybe your ainsell, Elshie, might want some good turn that Hob Elliot could do ye and it's a pity that the auld house o' the Heugh-foot should be wrecked a'thegither.
But the old woman who was the object of the farmer's suspicion seemed only busied about the drover, without paying any attention to the drove. Robin, on the contrary, appeared rather impatient of her presence. "What auld-world fancy," he said, "has brought you so early from the ingle-side this morning, Muhme? I am sure I bid you good-even, and had your God-speed, last night."
"And what I like warst o' a'," continued poor Cuddie, "is thae ranting red-coats coming amang the lasses, and taking awa our joes. I had a sair heart o' my ain when I passed the Mains down at Tillietudlem this morning about parritch-time, and saw the reek comin' out at my ain lum-head, and kend there was some ither body than my auld mither sitting by the ingle-side.
"And I'll tell ye, Ratton, blithe will Nichol Muschat be to see ye, for he says he kens weel there isna sic a villain out o' hell as ye are, and he wad be ravished to hae a crack wi' you like to like ye ken it's a proverb never fails and ye are baith a pair o' the deevil's peats I trow hard to ken whilk deserves the hettest corner o' his ingle-side."
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