“Blindness surely doesn’t prevent a man from knowing other people. He hears them, and he feels them, and indeed has generally more kindness from them because of his affliction.”
“Frae some o’ them, mem; but it’s little kin’ness my gran’father has expairienced frae Cawmill o’ Glenlyon, mem.”
“And just as little injury, I should suppose,” said Mrs Courthope.
“Ye’re wrang there, mem: a murdered mither maun be an unco skaith to oye’s oye (grandson’s grandson). But supposin’ ye to be richt, what I say’s to the pint for a’ that. I maun jist explain a wee.— When I was a laddie at the schule, I was ance tell’t that ane o’ the loons was i’ the wye o’ mockin’ my gran’father. Whan I hard it, I thocht I cud jist rive the hert o’ ’im, an’ set my teeth in ’t, as the Dutch sodger did to the Spainiard. But whan I got a grip o’ ’im, an’ the rascal turned up a frichtit kin’ o’ a dog-like face to me, I jist could not drive my steikit neive (clenched fist) intill ’t. Mem, a face is an awfu’ thing! There’s aye something luikin’ oot o’ ’t ’at ye canna do as ye like wi’. But my gran’father never saw a face in ’s life—lat alane Glenlyon’s ’at’s been dirt for sae mony a year. Gien he war luikin’ intill the face o’ that Glenlyon even, I do believe he wad no more drive his durk intill him——”
“Drive his dirk into him!” echoed Mrs Courthope, in horror at the very disclaimer.
“No, I’m sure he wad not,” persisted Malcolm, innocently. “He micht not tak him oot o’ a pot (hole in a river-bed), but he wad neither durk him nor fling him in. I’m no that sure he wadna even ran (reach) him a han’. Ae thing I am certain o’,—that by the time he meets Glenlyon in haven, he’ll be no that far frae lattin’ by-ganes be by-ganes.”
“Meets Glenlyon in heaven!” again echoed Mrs Courthope, who knew enough of the story to be startled at the taken-for-granted way in which Malcolm spoke. “Is it probable that a wretch such as your legends describe him should ever get there?”
“Ye dinna think God’s forgien him, than, mem?”
“I have no right to judge Glenlyon, or any other man; but, as you ask me, I must say I see no likelihood of it.”
“Hoo can ye compleen o’ my puir blin’ gran’father for no forgiein’ him, than?—I hae ye there, mem!”