'Yes, but, Cecil, were not you a little hard-hearted, to forsake such a faithful lover?'
'Ochone! lady, what could I do? It was well kent he was no fitting for me. His forbeers were but strangers, with your leave; and though I say it, I'm sib[12] to the best gentles in the land. So you see my father would never be brought in.'
'And you dutifully submitted to your father!' said I, my heart swelling as I contrasted the filial conduct of this untutored being with my own.
'Woe's me, lady,—I was his own;—he had a good right that I should do his bidding. And besides that, I knew that Robert was no ordained for me;—well knew I that,—that I knew well.' And while I was musing upon my ill-fated rebellion, Cecil kept ringing changes upon these words; for she would rather have repeated the same idea twenty times, then have allowed of a long pause in conversation, where she was the entertainer.
'How did you discover,' I enquired at length, 'that there was a decree against your marrying Robert?'
'I'se tell you, lady,' answered Cecil, lowering her voice; 'we have a seer[13] in Glen Eredine; and he was greatly troubled with me plainly standing at Jemmy's left hand. And first he saw it in the morning, and always farther up in the day, as the time came near. So he had no freedom in his mind but to tell me. Well, when I heard it, I fell down just as I had been shot; for I knew then what would be. But we must all have our fortune, lady. No' that I'm reflecting; for Jemmy's a good man to me; and an easy life I have had with him.'
'That is no more than you deserve, Cecil. A dutiful daughter deserves to be a happy wife.'
'Well, now, that's the very word that Miss Graham said, when she was that humble as to busk my first curch[14] with her oun hand; ay that's what she did; and when she saw me sobbing as my heart would break; hersel' laid her oun arm about my neck; and says she, just as had I been her equal, "My dear Cecil," says she. The Lord bless her! I thought more of these two words, than of all the good plenishing[15] she gave me. But for a' that, I had a sorrowful time of it at the first; and a sorrowfuller wedding was never in Glen Eredine, altho' Mr Henry was the best man himsel'; for you see, Jemmy's his foster-brother.'
'The best man? Cecil; I do not understand you. I should have thought the bridegroom might be the most important personage for that day at least.'