“This is our Allie, mistress,” said Marjorie, putting out her hand to detain her friend as she passed.
“Ay, ay. I ken that. I hae seen her at the kirk and elsewhere,” said the mistress, rather stiffly.
“And she is so strong and kind,” said the child, laying her cheek on the hand that had been put forth to smooth her pillow, which had fallen aside.
Mistress Jamieson had seen “the new lass” often, but she had never seen on her face the look that came on it at the loving movement of the child.
“Are ye wearyin’ for your tea, dear? It’s late, and I doubt they needed to go on all the way to Slapp, as they thought they might, and maybe they winna be home this while.”
A shadow fell on the face of the child. Allison regarded her gravely.
“Never heed, my lammie. I’ll take the wee laddies into the kitchen, and ye can make tea for the mistress and your brothers if they come in. You’ll like that, dear.”
Marjorie brightened wonderfully. She ay liked what made her think she was able to do as other folk did. The mistress rose, excusing herself for having been beguiled into staying so long.
“And what would my mistress say if we were to let ye away without your tea?” asked Allison, with great respect and gravity.
Then Robin came in, and he added his word, and to tell the truth the mistress was well pleased to be persuaded. She and Robin were on the friendliest terms now, though there had been “many a tulzie” between them in the old days. For Robin, though quieter than Jack, and having the reputation of being “a douce and sensible laddie” elsewhere, had been, during the last days of his subjection to Mistress Jamieson, “as fou o’ mischief as an egg is fou o’ meat,” and she had been glad enough to see the last of him as a scholar. But all that had been long forgotten and forgiven. Robin behaved to her with the greatest respect and consideration, “now that he had gotten some sense,” and doubtless when he should distinguish himself in college, as he meant to do, the mistress would take some of the credit of his success to herself, and would hold him up as an example to his brothers as persistently as she had once held him up as a warning.