“What has brought you to Glasgow?”
“You ken I wouldna come without a good reason. I hope I am na unwelcome.” Her eyes filled, she could scarcely endure the strain of uncertainty as she stood before him.
Then he took her hands and kissed her brow, and said, “Cameron, this is my sister, my only near relative, so I’m sure you’ll excuse me the night.” And the young man, who had been gazing with delight on Maggie’s beauty, rose with an apology and went away.
“Now, Maggie, I want to know what has brought you here?”
“Gie me some bread and tea first, for I am fair famished, and then I’ll tell you.”
“I must also speak to the good wife about a sleeping place for you under her own eye. You’ll be going back to-morrow.”
“I’ll not go back to Pittenloch again.” Then she told him all the wrong and shame and sorrow that had dogged her life since he had left her at the New Year. “Let me stay near by you, Davie. I can sew, I can go oot to service. I’ll be happy if I see you one hour on the Sabbath day.”
His face was white and stern and pitiless. “You want to ruin my life, Maggie, and your ain too. Mr. Cameron will speak of having seen you here. And it is nae less than evendown ruin for a theology student to have women-folks coming to his room—young women like yoursel’.”
“I’m your ain sister, Davie.”
“Who is to know that? Can I go about saying to this one and to that one the woman who came to see me, or the woman I went to see, on Sabbath last is my sister.’ It would not do for you to stay here, for I have company to see me and to study with me, and you and I would both be spoken of. It would not be right for you to take a room and live by yourself, and sew out by the day. You are too noticeable, and I could not spare the time to call and look after you in any way. And as to going out to service, I am mair than astonished to hear you naming a thing like that. We are fisher folk. Nane of the Promoters ever served mortal man as hand-maid or flunkey. We have always served God and cast the nets for a living. We werena indebted to any human being. We aye took our daily bread from His hand. And if you, Maggie Promoter, would dare to go out as a servant I would give you the back of my hand for ever.”