“Oh! ay, would I. No’ but what he was much changed. I wouldna have minded him, but I would have kenned him anywhere.”
Janet sat silent with a moved face for a little, and then she went on.
“I had had many a thought about his coming, and I grew afraid as the time drew near. Either, I thought, he winna like my husband, or they winna agree, or he will have forgotten me altogether, and winna find it easy to call me his mother, or he’ll disappoint me in some way, I thought. You see I had so set my heart on seeing him, that I was afraid of myself, and it seemed to be more than I could hope that he should be to me all that I desired. But when he came, my fears were set at rest. He is an honest, God fearing lad, my Sandy, and I need say nae mair about him.”
“And so clever, and handsome! And what did Mr Snow say?”
“Oh! his heart was carried captive, from the very first, with Sandy’s heartsome, kindly ways. It made me laugh to myself, many a time, to see them together, and it made me greet whiles, as well. All my fears were rebuked, and it is the burden of my prayers from day to day, that I may have a thankful heart.”
“And how did Sandy like Merleville, and all the people?”
“Oh, he liked them well, you may be sure. It would have been very ungrateful if he had not, they made so much of him—Mr and Mrs Greenleaf, especially, and the Merles, and plenty besides. He made himself very useful to Mr Greenleaf, in many ways, for he is a clever lad, my Sandy. It’s on his business that he’s West now. But he’ll soon be home again.”
“And Emily! Tell us just what they said to each other at first, and what they thought of each other.”
“I canna do that, for I wasna there to hear. Emily saw my Sandy before I saw him myself, as you’ll mind I told you before.”
“And was it love at first sight?” asked Fanny.