'My dear fellow, he had' no intention of that whatever. He wrote to the Edinburgh newspapers at once; but you must remember that at the time of the shipwreck your father was not aware that he had a grandchild at all, nor for weeks after. If Roderick Brown had left the child beside its mother to be found by the coastguards or the fishermen, it would have been handed over to the mercy of parish charity, which is perhaps not over tender. And who can tell if it would have survived till you went to claim it? The chain, too, is heavy and valuable, and who knows but that might have been temptation enough to keep the child out of your sight for ever?'
'Let us go to the child at once, then, Kenneth! and not to the shore with its miserable memories of wrecks and corpses.'
So the horse was put about, and they struck across the moor to Glen Effick.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
[AUGUSTUS WALLOWBY].
Eppie Ness was at her door when Kenneth and his friend drew up before it. She had a foreboding, when she saw two of them, that the other must be the father of her baby, and that he was come to take it away; and tears rose plentifully to her eyes and trickled over her withered cheeks as she led them into her house.
The baby was in its cradle and asleep, and however homely might be the cottage surroundings, no one could say that it had suffered from neglect or privation. It lay among dainty coverings of cambric and lace, like some infant princess, or a sacred image before which a perpetual oblation of praise and incense is offered up.
It was impossible that Steele should recognize his child, seeing that its life had been measured only by days when he last saw it, but he thought he recognized it, and no one would dispute his right to do so. He also observed a strong resemblance in it to its deceased mother, which confirmed his faith in its identity, if that were possible. Yet, when one recalls that only a few weeks before Mrs. Sangster had seen with equal clearness its strong family likeness to Tibbie Tirpie, one may doubt if the likeness test is of much consequence.
The clothing in which it had been wrapped up when found was produced. It consisted entirely of Indian fabrics. Even Steele could tell that much, but not having the feminine eye for embroideries and tissues, he could not identify any of the articles. He was able to recognize his wife's cipher, however, embroidered on a handkerchief, so that all possibility of doubt was at an end.
He thanked Eppie profusely, and handed her his purse as some instalment of the debt he owed her.