“Thank you, sir, for the kind thocht, as weel as for the siller; and I shall tell Maggie to keep the knowledge o’ it from her aunt, who is a woman o’ a vera parsimonious disposition.”
“Also my boat is to be hers. She can hire it out or she can sell it. It is absolutely her own. It would be folly for me to keep it rocking at anchor, and rusting away. I can not speak to her on such subjects, but you will be sure and make her understand, David.”
“‘Deed sir, I’ll tak’ care that she gets the gude o’ all your kindness. It’s mair than thochtfu’ o’ you; and I’ll hae nae need noo, to let Maggie step in atween me and my ain proper duties.”
Then they went to the boat together, and David removed all his books and belongings from her, and she was made ready to go for Aunt Janet the following morning. The rest of the day went rapidly by, Allan had many visits to make, and some special tokens of regard to leave. Then they had tea together at Maggie’s fire-side, and Allan watched her once more stoop to the glowing turf, and light the little iron cruisie, and rise with the light from it on her beautiful face. The simple household act was always one of meaning and interest to him. He renewed in it that moment of strange delight when he had first seen her. This evening he tried to catch her eyes as she rose, and he did so, and what did she see in his steady gaze that brought the happy blood in crimson waves over her throat and face, and made her eyelids shine with the light that was underneath them?
CHAPTER VIII. — THE BROKEN SIXPENCE.
“I love you, sweet: how can you ever learn
How much I love you?” “You I love even so,
And so I learn it.” “Sweet, you cannot know
How fair you are.” “If fair enough to earn
Your love, so much is all my love’s concern.”
“Ah! happy they to whom such words as these
In youth have served for speech the whole day long!”
David left early in the morning for Dron Point, and Allan went to the pier with him, and watched the boat away. It was not a pleasant morning. There had been, all night, surly whiffs of rain, and the sky was full of gleam and gloom and guest.
“I think it is likely Aunt Janet will get a good sea-tossing,” Allan said in a voice of satisfaction, and David smiled grimly, and reflected audibly, “that it was all o’ twenty miles, and the wind dead against them, for the hame coming.”