An hour later Robert Hume came to the house.
“Mistress Allison must have gone to the inn with Mrs Esselmont and her friends,” said Mrs Robb, “and here has the poor lad been waiting for her in the parlour an hour and more. What can be keepin’ her, think you? And I dinna just like to open the door.”
Robert laughed. “Poor fellow, indeed!” said he. “I suppose we may at least knock and ask leave to open it.”
They had seen each other already, but the hands of the two young men met in a clasp which said some things which neither would have cared to put into words for the other’s hearing. Then Robert turned to Allison, who was sitting there “just as usual,” he thought at first. But there was a look on her face, which neither he nor any one else had seen there till now.
“No. I am not going to sit down,” said Robert. “But I promised my mother that I would write to-night, to tell her how it all ended, and I need my time.”
“Ended! It is only beginning,” said John.
“Robert,” said Allison gravely, “does John ken?”
Robert laughed.
“There are few things that John doesna ken, I’m thinking. What I mean is this. How did old Rainy and you agree at last?”
“Yes, Allison, I ken,” said John, as she turned to him, “and I say as you said: The end is as right as right can be.”