“Tell me what she meant, Eppie.”
“Miss Frederica! Who would think that you would come and frighten a body out of their wits in that wild way? You have given me a turn that I winna get over this while.”
“Tell me what she said,” repeated Frederica.
But Eppie, hoping that she might have heard little, had no mind to tell her what her mistress had said.
“I would hae thought it o’ any o’ our young leddies rather than of you, pussy. Eh, fie! to be hearkening to what other folk are saying! What think you Miss Robina would say gin I were to tell her?”
But Frederica put her words aside with an impatient gesture.
“Tell me, or I will go to Mrs Glencairn.”
“’Deed you’ll do nothing of the kind. She has had trouble enew already, and it just needs you to go with thae bleezing een o’ yours to upset her altogether. Bide still where you are, like a good bairn.”
Frederica sat down, and neither of them spoke for a while.
“Eppie,” said she at last, “I think I understand, but I am not quite sure. Tell me, so that I need not make a mistake, or bring any one into trouble.”