Bell and Dan agreed to say “nothing to nobody” on the subject, until they were quite sure that they could forward Mrs. Barrie’s interest by doing so; and although some time elapsed before an opportunity occurred of clearing this affair up, the maintenance of strict secrecy was enforced by Dan on every occasion on which he saw Bell, by a significant motion of his arm, accompanied by, “Mind yon, Bell—Eh, Bell, mind yon!”
While Bell went about her work as heretofore, there was a strong undercurrent of thought constantly winding itself round Dan’s connection with Mrs. Barrie’s father’s misfortunes, or round Mr. Kirkwood and Colonel Gordon, and they got all mixed up, until she was quite in a maze. Many a time did she lay down the stocking she was knitting, and sit idle, thinking the matter over and over; but somehow she could never think it out, it only got more twisted and ravelled. Many a time after such a “brown study” did she rouse herself with an impatient gesture, and resume her knitting, saying almost angrily, “This is ridic’lus. I’m fair donnert [stupid]; I’ll gi’e ower thinkin’ aboot it.”
Many a sleepless hour it caused her, and as her first call in the morning was paid to Daisy, she unburthened her mind to the unconcerned cow.
THE HOME BUDGET.
“Daisy,” she would say, “my pretty lady, I’m fair bamboozled [utterly confused]. I’ve hardly sleepit a wink the nicht; that mixty-maxty business o’ Dan an’ the Grainaries an’ the Cornel has been bizz-bizzing [hum-humming] in my head. If I could but see Cornel Gordon his lane [alone] I could pit it a’ richt; for ye see, Daisy, James is a big laddie noo, an’ he wants to be a minister, an’ that tak’s a heap o’ siller; an’ Mary’s gettin’ a big lassie, an’ needin’ music lessons; for ye ken, Daisy, a’ young folk, espesh’ly a’ young women folk, should get some music putten into them. Then there’s Lewie, he’s in Latin a’ready; and Flora, she’s in the tenpenny book; an’ wee Gordie.—’Deed he’s no’ that wee, but I like to ca’ him wee when he disna hear me.—He’s gotten on the kilt, an’ he’ll no’ be lang before he’s upsides wi’ Flora at the schule [school], for he’s gaun to be a grand scholar. He’s a feckfu’ [very spirited] laddie, Gordie; he’ll show them a’ a dance yet. An’ what bothers [troubles] me, Daisy, is whare’s the siller to come frae? If I could just hae a quiet crack wi’ the Cornel, I think I could let him ken hoo he could do a great deal o’ gude wi’ his siller; for ye ken, Daisy, a’ the auld men that comes hame frae India for guid an’ a’ bring wi’ them bow-sackfu’s [large sacks full] o’ siller.”
It is difficult to transcribe intelligently Bell’s conversations with Daisy—they were conveyed in the very broadest Scotch. I can only account for this on the ground that Daisy was not only a patient listener, and never asked the meaning of any unusual word or phrase, but that she was also of the very best and purest Ayrshire breed, and was therefore sure to prefer the native Doric of the land of Burns.
Bell was sorely tempted to open her mind to Mrs. Barrie on this subject, but it was the one topic Mrs. Barrie had strictly enjoined her never to allude to. During her first year’s service in Mrs. Barrie’s, Bell had once or twice unwittingly made some references to it, and these had been the only occasions on which Mrs. Barrie showed temper towards her. The manifestation of unutterable abhorrence which these provoked made Bell so studiously avoid everything that had the slightest chance of recalling it, that neither in Mrs. Barrie’s hearing, nor in her conversation with others, did she ever speak of Dumbarton or her early association with it; and this may account for Dan’s astonishment at hearing her refer to the “milking stone.”
“FULL MANY A GEM.”
A strong interest in the Barrie family took hold of Dan, and although he had few opportunities of showing it, he hit on one, the most unlikely, considering the kind of man he was, that could almost be conceived, but one which went as directly to their hearts as it did credit to Dan’s.
When Bell paid her early spring visit to Nellie’s grave, to “sort” it after the winter’s storms, carrying with her the first bunch of snowdrops, for which she had watched anxiously, she was surprised to find that some fresh plants were blooming there already.