"Peter! O Peter!" cried the wretched girl, clinging around him.
The party from the frigate approached them. Even their hearts were touched.
"From my soul, I feel for you, Paterson," said the lieutenant commanding them; "and I am sorry to see these old people and that lovely girl in distress; but you know I must do my duty, lad."
"O sir! sir!" cried his mother, wringing her hands, and addressing the lieutenant, "if ye hae a drap o' compassion in yer heart, spare my puir bairn! O sir! I implore ye, as ye wad expect mercy here or hereafter, dinna tear him frae the door o' the mother that bore him."
"Good woman," replied the officer, "your son must go with us; but I shall do all that I can to render his punishment as light as possible."
Ann uttered a shriek of horror.
"Punishment!" exclaimed Betty, grasping the arm of the lieutenant—"O, sir, what do ye mean by punishment? Surely, though your heart was harder than a nether mill-stane, ye couldna be sae cruel as to hurt my bairn for comin to see his ain mother?"
"Sir," said Robin, "my son never intended to rin awa frae your ship. He told me he was gaun to return immediately—I assure ye o' that. But, sir, if ye could only leave him, and if siller can do anything in the case, ye shall hae the savings o' thirty years, an' a faither's blessing into the bargain."
"Oh, ay, sir!" cried his mother; "ye shall hae the last penny we hae i' the world—ye shall hae the very stock of the farm, if ye'll leave my bairn!"
The officer shook his head. The sailors attempted to pinion Peter's arms.