"Ay, will I, mother?" he said now.
Jess put her hand fondly through his ugly hair. How handsome she thought him.
"Ye have a fine brow, Jamie," she said. "I mind the day ye was born sayin' to mysel 'at ye had a fine brow."
"But ye thocht he was to be a lassie, mother," said Leeby.
"Na, Leeby, I didna. I kept sayin' I thocht he would be a lassie because I was fleid he would be; but a' the time I had a presentiment he would be a laddie. It was wi' Joey deein' sae sudden, an' I took on sae terrible aboot 'im 'at I thocht all alang the Lord would gie me another laddie."
"Ay, I wanted 'im to be a laddie mysel," said Hendry, "so as he could tak Joey's place."
Jess's head jerked back involuntarily, and Jamie may have felt her hand shake, for he said in a voice out of Hendry's hearing—
"I never took Joey's place wi' ye, mother."
Jess pressed his hand tightly in her two worn palms, but she did not speak.
"Jamie was richt like Joey when he was a bairn," Hendry said.