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The dignity of her carriage nowise marred its grace, or betrayed the least consciousness; she looked dignified because she was dignified. That form of falsehood which consists in assuming the look of what one fain would be, was, as much as any other, impossible to Isobel Macruadh. She wore no cap; her hair was gathered in a large knot near the top of her head.
"Ah, mistress Conal!" he said, "I am sorry to see you resting on such a night so near your own door. It means you have filled your creel too full, and tired yourself too much." "I am not too much tired, Macruadh!" returned the old woman, who was proud and cross-tempered, and had a reputation for witchcraft, which did her neither much good nor much harm.
He lived while he lived! I thank you for his immediate transit. Shot right through the heart! Had you maimed him I should have been angrier." Sercombe felt flattered, and, attributing the chief's gentleness to a desire to please him, began to condescend. "Well, come now, Macruadh!" he began; but the chief turned from him.
Why did you not tell me?" "I thought it was morning, sir, and when I got up it was the middle of the night. The moon was so shiny that I went to the door and looked out. Just at the narrow leap, I saw him plain." "If you should see him again, Nancy, scare him. I don't want the Sasunnachs at the New House to see him." "Hadn't you better take him yourself, Macruadh?
The mother was dressed in a rich, matronly black silk; the chief was in the full dress of his clan the old-fashioned coat of the French court, with its silver buttons and ruffles of fine lace, the kilt of Macruadh tartan in which red predominated, the silver-mounted sporan of the skin and adorned with the head of an otter caught with, the bare hands of one of his people, and a silver-mounted dirk of length unusual, famed for the beauty of both hilt and blade; Ian was similarly though less showily clad.
Regret, and not any murmur, stirred the mind of Alister Macruadh when he thought of the change that had passed on all things around him. He had been too well taught for grumbling least of all at what was plainly the will of the Supreme inasmuch as, however man might be to blame, the thing was there.
Palmer," said another of the clan, "the old woman has the right of you: she and hers have lived there, in that cottage, for nigh a hundred years." "She has no right. If she thinks she has, let her go to the law for it. In the meantime I choose to turn her off my land. What's mine's mine, as I mean every man jack of you to know chief and beggar!" The Macruadh walked up to him.
He had almost told her that, if she had quarrelled with his ploughman-brother, the fault must be hers! "But indeed, Captain Macruadh," she said for the people called him captain, "I am not ignorant about animals! We have horses of our own, and know all about them. Don't we, Mercy?" "Yes," said Mercy; "they take apples and sugar from our hands."
The laird said never a word, never looked behind him, while she, almost tumbling down his back as she cursed with outstretched arms, deafened him with her raging. He walked steadily down the path to the road, where he stepped into the midst of her goods and chattels. The sight of them diverted a little the current of her wrath. "Where are you going, Macruadh?" she cried, as he walked on.
Mercy was not going to be put down, however: she was doing nothing wrong! "How is the Macruadh, please?" she managed to say. "Alive, but terribly hurt," answered his mother, and would have borne her out of the open door of the cottage, towards the latch of which she reached her hand while yet a yard from it. Her action said, "Why WILL Nancy leave the door open!"
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