But at that instant a woman’s voice, seemingly coming from the next room, spoke in sadly beseeching tones:
“O Willie, Willie, wad ye harm my own dear auld cousin who has never shown aught but kindness to us and ours? Is it not enough that ye broke the heart o’y ain wife that loved ye better than all the warld beside? And wad ye kill my ain bairn—the bonny lassie that we baith loved so well when she was a wee toddling thing? Dinna meddle wi’ her, Willie; dinna harm a hair o’ her head or I’ll haunt ye to the last day o’ your life. Forsake your sins, Willie, put away your mony wives and be a true servant o’ the Lord, or ye’ll never win to heaven; your soul will be lost and I that loved ye so lang syne will see ye no more forever.”
McAlpine’s face turned ghastly white while he listened and his eyes seemed starting from his head; then as the voice ceased he suddenly wrenched himself free from the hold of Edward and Harold and rushed from the room and the house like one pursued by an avenging foe; they heard his steps echoing down the garden path, out into the road, and away till the sounds were lost in the distance.
Then Mr. Dinsmore spoke, breaking the astonished silence:
“He is badly scared, and I think will hardly return to pursue his search for his missing daughter.”
“I trust not, sir,” responded Cousin Ronald. “Fortunately I was able to remember and reproduce the tones of his dead wife’s voice. My God-given talent is sometimes useful, as well as a source of amusement to my young friends.”
“And older ones also,” Elsie added with a smile.
“Yes, indeed,” said Rosie; “the man fairly frightened me, for he acted as if he were wicked enough to hurt or even kill every one of us. I don’t wonder Marian ran away from him and was so frightened at the very thought of seeing him again.”
“Nor I,” said Zoe, looking at her husband with eyes full of tears. “O my dear Ned, I was so afraid he would do you some dreadful harm! And what if he should even yet; he may come back! Oh, let us shut doors and windows.”
“I think there is hardly any danger of his returning,” remarked Hugh Lilburn in a reassuring tone; “at least not to-night.”