nce you have said so much, if you think you can trust me,
you should, perhaps, tell me all."

"Oh! I can trust you! But afterward folk might say that you did wrong
to take me with you, knowing my story. And if I tell you I would need
to tell Mr and Mrs Hume as well, since they are to trust me with their
child. And though you might be out of the reach of any trouble because
of taking my part, they might not, and their good might be evil spoken
of on my account, and that would be a bad requital for all their
kindness."

"And have you spoken to no one, Allison? Is there no one who is aware
of what has befallen you?"

Allison grew red and then pale. It was the last question that she
answered.

"It was in our parish that Saunners Crombie buried his wife. One night
he came into the manse kitchen, and he told me that he had seen my name
on a new headstone, `John Bain and Allison his wife'--the names of my
father and mother. And he had some words with one who had known me all
my life. But I never answered him a word. And whether he was trying
me, or warning me, or whether he spoke by chance, I cannot say. I would
like to win away from this place, for a great fear has been upon me
since then. I might be sought for here. But I would never go back. I
would rather die," repeated Allison, and the look that came over her
face gave emphasis to her words.

"And has he never spoken again?"

"Never to me. I do not think he would willingly do me an ill turn, but
he might harm me when he might think he was helping me into the right
way. Oh! I would like to go away from this place, and it would be
happiness as well as safety to go with you and my Marjorie."

Mrs Esselmont sat thinking in silence for what seemed to Allison a long
time. Then she raised herself up and held out her hand.

"Allison, I understand well that there are some things that will not
bear to be spoken about. Tell me nothing now, but come with me. I
trust you. Come with me and the child."

The tears came into Allison's eyes, and she said quietly:

"I thank you, madam. I will serve you well."

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

"God be with thee,
Else alone thou goest forth,
Thy face unto the north."

Before he went away on the morning after they had heard the story which
Crombie had to tell, John Beaton had said to his mother:

"If Allison Bain seems anxious or restless, you must find some way of
letting her know that she has nothing to f