In a moment Neil let slip the rein in which he had been holding himself, and in a slow, intense voice answered, "I shall make it my business to find out. If Katherine is married, God bless her! If she is not, I will follow Hyde though it were around the world until I cleave his coward's heart in two." His passion grew stronger with its utterance. He pushed away his chair, and put down his cup so indifferently that it missed the table and fell with a crash to the floor.
"Oh, my cheeny, my cheeny! Oh, my bonnie cups that I hae used for forty years, and no' a piece broken afore!"
"Ah, weel, Janet," said the elder, "you shouldna badger an angry man when he's drinking from your best cups."
"I canna mend nor match it in the whole Province, Elder. Oh, my bonnie cup."
"I was thinking, Janet, o' Katherine's good name. If it is gane, it is neither to mend nor to match in the whole wide world. I'll awa' and see Joris and Lysbet. And put every cross thought where you'll never find them again, Janet; an tak' your good-will in your hands, and come wi' me. Lysbet will want to see you."
"Not her, indeed! I can tell you, Elder, that Lysbet was vera cool and queer wi' me yesterday."
"Come, Janet, dinna keep your good-nature in remnants. Let's hae enough to make a cloak big enough to cover a' bygone faults."
"I think, then, I ought to stay wi' Neil."
"Neil doesna want anybody near him. Leave him alane. Neil's a' right. Forty years syne I would hae broke my mother's cheeny, and drawn steel as quick as Neil did, if I heard a word against bonnie Janet Gordon." And the old man made his wife a bow; and madam blushed with pleasure, and went upstairs to put on her bonnet and India shawl.