‘Perhaps if I had called Margaret by some other name—’
‘I should have seen through her just the same. As soon as I heard she was the mother I began to laugh. In some ways, though, she’s no’ so very like me. She was long in finding out about Babbie. I’se uphaud I should have been quicker.’
‘Babbie, you see, kept close to the garden-wall.’
‘It’s not the wall up at the manse that would have hidden her from me.’
‘She came out in the dark.’
‘I’m thinking she would have found me looking for her with a candle.’
‘And Gavin was secretive.’
‘That would have put me on my mettle.’
‘She never suspected anything.’
‘I wonder at her.’