“Allison, listen to me for a moment, and put out of your thoughts all that I hose been saying. You have been long enough under my roof to know something of me. You know that I am growing an old woman now, and that I am much alone, having no one very near to me who could be with me always. I am often very lonely. One daughter is taken up with the care of her large family, and has other claims upon her besides, and my Mary is over the sea. Will you come to me, Allison? Not as a servant,—as a companion and friend. I like you greatly, my dear. I may say I love you dearly. Will you come to me?”
She held out her hand. Allison took it in both hers, and stooping, she kissed it, and her tears fell upon it.
“If my brother did not need me I would come with good will. But I must go to him when he is ready for me.”
“Will you come to me till he sends for you? If he were to marry he would not need you. You would be happy with me, I am sure, my dear.”
“That you should even wish me to come, makes me very glad, but I can say nothing now.”
“Well, think about it. We would suit one another, my dear. And we might have our Marjorie with us now and then.”
Mrs Esselmont went back to Firhill, and Allison went daily to the infirmary again. She kept herself busy, as was best for her, and no one came to trouble her any more with counsel or expostulation. She did her work and thought her own thoughts in peace.
“I will wait patiently till this troublesome business is settled, and then I will know what I may do. I am not losing my time and I can wait.”
Having quite made up her mind as to her duty with regard to “this troublesome business,” she put it out of her thoughts and grew cheerful and content, and able to take the good of such solace or pleasure as came in her way.
Robert Hume was a help to her at this time. He looked in upon her often, and gave her such items of news as came to him from the manse or from Nethermuir. He brought her books now and then, to improve her mind and pass the time, he told her, and Allison began, to her own surprise, to take pleasure in them, such as she had taken in books in the days of her youth, before all things went wrong with them, and all the world was changed.