“She’s very sick, father, an’ they’re very poor, an’ I thought it would be such a nice to her just now, and she did relish it so.”
“Relish it! Aye, soon ye’ll be distributin’ the sheep to the neighbours. An’, mother, I found some broken crockery in the garden out by the corner of the hedge. It looked most as if it had been hidden there; do ye know anythin’ about it?”
“Aye, I know somethin’ about it.”
“An’ what do ye know?”
“Father, that I shall not be tellin’ ye, whatever.”
“Not be tellin’ me! not be tellin’ me?” he exclaimed hotly. “Tut, Barbara, what’s come over ye?”
“No, father, not be tellin’ ye,” answered Barbara, with gentle deliberateness.
“Indeed, we’ll see. Maggie, Maggie,” shouted Samuel, “Maggie, come here!”
Maggie came hurrying to the door, anxiety in every feature of her face.
“Maggie Morgan, what do ye——” began Samuel.