“You will hold your tongue, Janet. They who stir in muddy water only make it worse.”
“But Archie Braelands loved her, or he would not have married her; and if he knew the right and the wrong of poor Sophy’s position—”
“I tell you, that is nothing to it, Janet.”
“It is everything to it. Right is right, in the devil’s teeth.”
“I’m sorry I said a word to you; it is a dangerous thing to get between a man and his wife. I would not do it, not even for Sophy; for reason here or reason there, folks be to take care of themselves; and my man gets siller from Braelands, more than we can afford to lose.”
“You are taken with a fit of the prudentials, Isobel; and it is just extraordinary how selfish they make folk.”
And yet Janet herself, when going over the conversation with Christina, was quite inclined on second thoughts not to interfere in Sophy’s affairs, though both were anxious and sorrowful about the motherless little woman.
“She ought to be with her husband wherever he is, court or castle,” said Christina. “She is a foolish woman to let him go away with her enemy, and such a clever enemy as Madame Braelands is. I think, Mother, you ought to call on Sophy, and give her a word of love and a bit of good advice. Her mother was very close to you.”
“I know, Christina; but Isobel was right about the folly of coming between a man and his wife. I would just get the wyte of it. Many a sore heart I have had for meddling with what I could not mend.”
Yet Janet carried the lonely, sorrowful little wife on her heart continually; though, after a week or two had passed and nothing new was heard from Braelands, every one began to give their sympathy to Christina and her affairs. Janet was ready to talk of them. There were some things she wished to explain, though she was too proud to do so until her friends felt interest enough to ask for explanations. And as soon as it was discovered that Andrew had gone to America, the interest and curiosity was sufficiently keen and eager to satisfy even Janet.