White Heather (Volume III of 3)

covery about the secret interviews between her sister and Ronald, Mr. Gemmill

you,' he was beginning-when he saw-that som

But Mr. Gemmill did not seem so horror-stricken as his wife had expected; she began t

tle way with her, and talk common sense to her, and it will be all right. If you make a row, you will only drive

'm not going to have any responsibility of the kind. Back she goes to the Highlands at onc

said he, with calm resignation. 'You will merely drive th

in. 'Perhaps you would like to try arguing with her yourself? But, any way,

an invitation for the three of us; and Frank Lauder as good as admitted this morning that the thing was got up for the very purpose of introducing Meenie to the old folk

does to every man that comes to the house. Why, they're like a set of great babies when she's in the room; and you

ll was a sensi

But as soon as that is over, off she goes to the Highlands aga

an additional grievance. She went

that. R

the formal note-wi

t was meant to introduce you to F

to go,' Meenie

yourself. But this is what I want to say: I had intended sending you back to Inver-Mudal at once; but now you will have to stay with u

ate s

you

hear,' s

el

y we

elder sister said angrily. 'I w

given with pe

have been doing. I am not ash

meeting that man-in the public streets-making a spectacle of yourself in

ike a mad woman,'

hall not be allowed to misconduct yourself while

ly have believed that this was Meenie that was speaking. 'Lock me up in my room? They onl

ut?' the elder sister said. 'You've disco

ormy, came to a sudden end. There was a sharp call from below-M

me downstai

first time she said she did not wish for any supper. The second time she said that if her conduct had been so disgraceful she was not fit to associate with his family. And so, being by nature a kindly-hearted man, he went away and got some food for her, and carried the little tray t

e shut up in that little hamlet in the northern wilds, with absolutely no means of learning anything about Ronald, not permitted to mention his name, cut off from him as though he were in another world? She saw month after month go by-or year after year even-with no word or message coming to

was too serious to let her heed what any one might say-indeed she did not think for a moment about it. So all the morning she went about the house, performing such small duties as had been entrusted to her, and wondering when the heavy rain would leave of

se obscure lodgings. The door was in a dusky entry; the landlady who answered the summons did not n

tated, apparently not quite knowing whether she

should like to see him for

instinctively he knew that he could not ask her to come within doors. But when she said she had something to say to him

a morning

estored her courage, 'and you shall have the umbrella-yes-I insist-take it-well, then,

-to hold over her; and so they

s own story of joy and confidence; 'don't blame me; I have been miserable; I cou

your eyes, Meenie, darling? Wha

n her eyes, only light and love and gladness. 'And now, the moment I see you I think I must have been so foolish

as been frighte

up at him from time to time with eyes full of courage and confidence; a single glimpse of him had driven away all these dire spectres and phantoms. Indeed, if the truth were known, it was he who was most inclined to take this news seriously; though, of course, he did not show that to her. No; he affected to laugh at the ide

ill not make next spring come any the quicker; and until I'm a certificated forester I'm loth to bother Lord Ailine, or anybody else, about a place. But what o' that? It's not a long time; and unles

elp my writing to you, or co

ll, it is not a nice thing for a young lass to be in opposition to her own folk; it's a sore trouble to both sides; and though she may b

, if they say no?' she asked quickly,

he noise in the streets bothered him; and he was terribly t

an omnibus, now, and go down the town, I know a restaurant where we could go in and have a comfortable corner, and b

hesitate f

nk so-if you wi

e novelty of the situation was so amusing-to Meenie at least-that for a time it drove graver thoughts away altogether. She acted as mistress of the feast; and would insist on his having this or that; and wondered that he had never even

what you would have me

ather on my account, and be living in constant wretchedne

uld be no difficulty in our hearing from

and have a heavy heart in consequence. In the meantime you must look to them-you must do what

r-Mudal prepared to do everything they wish me to do-I mean my mother, not my father, for I don't know what he might say-then it isn't only tha

he did, he stretched his hand over the narrow li

ink I can let you go away for ever? For you are mine. I don't care who says ay or no; you

of his hand was sufficient emphasis. And then he sai

ould give you the right to act or say what you pleased-even to leave your father's house,

l she might; but he

few minutes, and you could go back to your sister's, and no one be a bit the wiser. And then surely you would be les

rrible thi

one young couple taking their fate in their own hand th

was undecided; and sometimes she would timidly steal a glance at him, as if to assure herself and gain courage; and sometimes she would wistfully look away along this busy Sauchiehall Street, as if her future and all the coming years were somehow at the end of it. As for him, now that he had hit upon this daring project, he was eager in defence of it; and urged her to give her consen

t him know her decision. And in the morning, he got this brief message-the handwriting was not a little s

n be done quite, quit

irst of all in some of those idle verses that he now copied out for her from time to time; and she had asked him how he had