But as he passed the window, he saw a little light, and went on to the door and knocked: had it been the daytime, he would have gone straight in. Agnes came, and opened cautiously, for there were occasionally such beings as tramps about.
“Eh! it’s you?” she cried with a glad voice, when she saw the shape of Cosmo in the dimness. “There’s naething wrang I houp,” she added, changing her tone.
“Na, naething,” answered Cosmo. “I only wantit to lat ye ken ’at I wasna gaein’ back to the schuil ony mair.”
“Weel, I dinna won’er at that!” returned Agnes with a little sigh. “Efter the w’y the maister behaved til ye, the laird cud ill lat ye gang there again. But what’s he gaein’ to du wi’ ye, Maister Cosmo, gien a body micht speir ’at has nae richt to be keerious?”
“He’s sen’in’ me to maister Simon,” answered Cosmo.
“I wuss I was gaein’ tu,” sighed Aggie. “I’m jist feart ’at I’ll come to hate the maister efter ye’re no to be seen there, Cosmo. An’ we maunna hate, for that, ye ken, ’s the hin ’er en’ o’ a’ thing. But it wad be a heap easier no to hate him, gien I had naething tu du wi’ him.”
“That maun be confest,” answered Cosmo.—“But,” he added, “the hairst-play ’ill be here sune, an’ syne the hairst itsel’; an’ whan ye gang back ye’ll hae won ower ’t.”
“Na, I doobt no, Cosmo; for, ye see, as I hae h’ard my father say, the Gracies are a’ terrible for min’in’. Na, there’s no forgettin’ o’ naething. What for sud onything be forgotten? It’s a cooardly kin’ o’ a’ w’y, to forget.”
“Some things, I doobt, hae to be forgotten,” returned Cosmo, thoughtfully. “Gien ye forgie a body for enstance, ye maun forget tu—no sae muckle, I’m thinkin’, for the sake o’ them ’at did ye the wrang, for wha wad tak up again a fool (foul ) thing ance it was drappit?—but for yer ain sake; for what ye hae dune richt, my father says, maun be forgotten oot ’o sicht for fear o’ corruption, for naething comes to stink waur nor a guid deed hung up i’ the munelicht o’ the memory.”
“Eh!” exclaimed Aggie, “but ye’re unco wice for a lad o’ yer ’ears.”