red he had been sick with the love and pain
of wanting her, ever since he could remember himself, "and yet,
Christine," he wrote, "you are mine. Mine from your birth hour. Mine
whether you love me, or don't love me. Mine if you marry someone else.
Mine even if you die, for then I would soon follow, and find you out,
wherever you were."

What was a girl of cool, reasonable nature, to do with a lover of this
impetuous, vehement temper?

She told her mother that Cluny was coming, and she noticed that the
news instantly changed the atmosphere of the room. Margot had been
sewing and chatting cheerfully in her chair by the fireside. She
dropped her work, and became thoughtful and silent. Christine knew
why, and she said to herself, "Mither is fearing I am going to marry
Cluny, and leave her alane! As if I would! The man never lived, who
could make me do the like o' that." She waited ten minutes to give
Margot time to recover herself, but as she did not do so, she asked,
"Mither, are you doubting Christine?"

"No, dearie! I couldna do that."

"What then?"

"I'm doubting mysel'. Doubting my power to look to your feyther's
comfort, and the like o' that, and maybe fearing a strange woman in
the house."

"Why a strange woman?"

"There's things I canna do now--things I havna the strength for,
and----"

"You think that Christine would leave you?"

"Weel, there is the peradventure."

"Mither, put your arm round me. To the end of your life, Christine
will put hers round you. Naebody can part us twa. Naebody!"

"I thought Cluny was coming--and--that----"

"I would leave you. Leave you now! Leave you, and leave feyther
without anyone to cook his meals, and leave wee Jamie, who looks to me
as if I was his Mither. Na, na! You mustna judge Christine in that
way. What for would I leave you? Because a lad loves me out of a'
sense and reason. Even if I was his wife, love and duty would count
your claim first. God said a man should leave feyther and mither, and
cleave to his wife; but He didna tell a woman to leave her feyther and
mither, and cleave to her husband."

"He would mean it, Christine."

"Then He would hae said it. He leaves nae room to question."

"There might be what is called 'inferences.'"

"Na, na, Mither! It is thus and so, and do, and do not, wi' God.
There's nae inferences in any o' His commands. When folks break them,
they ken well they are breaking them. But what will we be talking o'
this matter for