most of the other women in the row grew afraid, and
kept as much as possible within doors the rest of the day.

When the men returned from work the whole episode had to be gone through
and described to them by their wives.

When Sanny Robertson came home that afternoon, he found Mag with swollen
lips and half closed eyes and a face bruised all over. He did not have
to wait long for explanations. She railed and swore and raged until one
wondered from where she got all the energy, and all the strength. It was
amazing why she did not collapse altogether.

Sanny sat quietly listening without comment, then washed himself and sat
smoking by the fire for a time. He was a quiet go-as-you-please man, not
given much to talking. But finally he could stand it no longer, and he
took hold of his wife by the shoulder, saying.

"Noo, jist you listen, an' for God's sake shut your mooth. It'll no dae
a bit o' guid ravin' like that. We are in a bigger hole noo than ever we
hae been in a' oor lives, an' mind that. I've made up my mind what I am
gaun tae dae. Sae listen. I'm gaun straucht awa' ower to Rundell's the
morn, at the time when Mr. Rundell gangs hame frae the office for his
breakfast, an' I'll tell him everything aboot the contracts. Then I'm
gaun awa' doon the country tae look for work, an' I'll flit oot o' here
an' tae hell wi't. Noo shut up an' gae me peace and quateness for an
hoor, so that I can think oot things. You get awa' tae bed. Maybe by
richt I should gang doon tae Black Jock an' stap a knife in him--if for
nae ither thing than the way he has treated you the day, I should dae
that. But I'm no gaun to dae it the noo. I'm no' blaming you for what
has happened; for I'm mair to blame than you are. But I'll be even wi'
that black beast, an' put an end to his rotten career, someway or
another. Sae aff you gang to your bed, an' gie me a quate hoor tae
mysel'," and there was such a quiet authoritative ring in his voice that
Mag dared not disobey it, and she went quietly off to bed while he sat
by the fireside smoking and thinking, and feeling that his home that
night must surely be the most unhappy place on God's earth.

About midnight he knocked the ashes from his pipe, and placing it on the
mantelpiece, went to bed and soon fell asleep, but Mag, an insane
decision taking shape in her brain, lay and brooded and tossed till well
on in the morning, when she rose, kindled the fire, "redd up" the house,
prepared the breakfas