“I could, and I would. Tak’ your will, you foolish woman! I shall bide by every word I hae said.”
“But Norman——”
“Let go! You hae never yet seen me in a blaze! Dinna try it tonight! If I lift my hand it will be your ain fault. Get out o’ my sight, and hearing! Quick, woman! Quick! I’m no’ able to stand you langer—O God! O God, help me!”
Jessy, cowed and shocked at this unexpected passion of a patient man, disappeared; but the next moment she was heard in the children’s room, crying and scolding, and the sharp slapping of her hand followed. Norman jumped to his feet, his heart throbbed and burned, he clenched his hands, and took a step forward. The next moment he had sat down, his eyes were closed, his hands were clasped, he had hid himself in that secret sanctuary which his hard life and early disappointments had revealed to him, when he was only a lad of seventeen. Jessy’s railing, the children’s crying, his own angry voice, he 302 heard them not! He was hiding in His pavilion, in the secret of His tabernacle. He had cast his burden upon the Lord. He was in perfect peace.
Christine spent a restless, unhappy night. Norman had put before her a future that frightened her. She had seen the misery made by little wicked innuendoes half a dozen words long. Truly words could not kill her, but they could make life bitter and friendless, and there were women in the village she could neither conciliate, nor cope with, for the weapons they used were not in her armory. “Mither had a sharp tongue,” she said softly, “but even she couldna cope wi’ a lying tongue. Weel, there’s words anent it, in the Good Book, and I’ll seek them out, and they’ll be helping me.”
After all, the central trouble of her heart was neither her house, nor her neighbors, nor even her lover. Someway or other, they could and would be managed. But how was she to refill her empty purse? There was only one half-crown in it, and she had already found out the cruel uncertainty of literary work. It depended on too many people. Her novel was three-fourths done, but she reasoned that if men were so long on finding out whether they liked half a dozen verses, it would be all of a year, ere they got her novel well-examined. After realizing this condition, she said firmly, and with no evidence of unusual trial, “I can tak’ to the fish, in the meantime. I havna outgrown my fisher dress, nor forgot my fisher-calls, and Culraine folk will help me sell, 303 if I look to the boats for my bread. They dinna understand the writing business—nae wonder! There’s few do! The Domine was saying it belongs to the mysteries o’ this life. Weel, I’ll get my pleasure out o’ it, and the fish are ay sure to come, and sure to be caught, and if I set mysel’ to the business, I can beat the auldest and youngest o’ the fisherwomen in the selling o’ them.”
When she came to this decision, the clock struck twelve, and she looked up at its face for a moment, and shook her head. “I canna sleep yet,” she said, “and you needna be calling me. There’s Cluny and Neil to think o’, and dear me, wha’ can Neil be hiding himsel’? He canna hae heard o’ Mither’s death, he would hae come here, and if he couldna come, he would hae written. There has been nae word, either, from that lass he married. She wrote seven lang pages o’ faults and accusations again her lawful husband, and then let the matter drop, as if it was of no further consequence. I didn’t answer her letter, and I am glad I didn’t. And I canna write now, for I know no more anent her whereabouts, than I do anent Neil’s. I wouldn’t wonder if they are together in some heathen country, where men fight duels, and kill each other for an ugly word. In a case like that, it would be fair murder for poor Neil. I wish I knew where the misguided lad is! Norman and Neil had no marriage luck, and wha kens what my luck may be, in the way o’ a husband!”
This intensely personal reflection claimed her whole attention. It was long since she had seen Cluny. Shortly before her mother’s death, he had gone as supercargo on a large merchant steamer, bound for New Zealand. It was a most important post, and he had been promised, if successful, the first captaincy in the fleet of passenger steamers carrying between England and the United States, that was vacant. Before leaving on this long trip to New Zealand, he had only managed to see Christine for three hours. He had reached Culraine at eight o’clock. He had run like a deer the mile and quarter which lay between the railway station and the Ruleson cottage, reaching his goal just as Christine finished reading a goodnight psalm to her mother. She had heard his steps afar off, it had seemed as if the comforting words were read to them—then she was at the open door, and they met in each other’s arms.
Three hours of pure, perfect happiness had followed. Cluny went first to Margot’s side. He knew it was the last time he could ever stand there. In this world they would see each other no more, and he was sorrowfully shocked and touched by the change in the handsome woman, once so vibrant and full of life. Sometimes they had not been very good friends, but this white, frail image, stretching out hands full of pleasure and goodwill to him—this gentle mother of the beloved Christine, won in a moment all his best sympathies. He promised her 305 everything she asked, and then she sent him away with her blessing.