|
"The nicht was still, and
o'er the hill
The moon shone on the castle wa',
The mavis sang, while dewdrops hang
Around her on the castle wa'."
—Bums.
PHEMIE waited decorously
for Jean to go over and tell her who he was and how he happened; which
Jean did ere the stranger's broad back was out of sight down the road. She
told everything, from the time she left the milking-yard, after Bess, the
night before.
"Ye suld hae seen him,
Phemie! he gied a real scairt look when he said happen he could drive a
coo; ye'd think Bess was a bear."
"'Deed," answered Phemie,
at once assuming championship of the stranger at their gates, "it's like
he kens naething aboot th' ways o' coos. Ane can see he's frae th' toun."
"Oh, he's frae th' town
fast eneuch, but he kens muckle aboot the braes wi' it a'. The very stanes
are at his tongue's end wi' their lang-like names. I'll no mind juist a'
aboot 't, but Da 'n' Douglas are fair wild wi' 's gab aboot th' mines."
"Ye'll no be feart o' 'im
yersel, Jean," said Phemie, just a little hurt over this first adventure
unshared. "Ye clacked at 'm like ye was auld friens."
"The 's naething t' be
feart ower," answered Jean in a most matter-of-fact tone, "he's ony a mon,
t' be sure, an' if he kens gowd an' siller stanes i' th' earth, I ken
butter an' eggs, milkin' the kye an' feedin' th' chuckies, necklin' th'
flax an' spinnin' th' yarn. Aebody canna ken a' things, an' aething 's as
gude's anither t' know."
Such rank heterodoxy as
this took Phemie's breath; there having been no previous occasion, these
dangerous sentiments had not before been called forth in her presence.
"Ye'll no ken what ye're
saying, Jean. What's t 'become of us a'! if wummin's tae ken as much 's
the men bodies, whiles" (with fine scorn) "yon'll be doctor 'n lawyer
bodies, an' syne even th' Governor himsel'." This last proposition was a
trifle mixed, though it graphically expressed Phemie's sentiments.
"An' for why no?" contended
Jean; "wull there no be 's mony wummin bodies t' be doctored 'n lawyered
'n governored 's men bodies? Ye'd no mind bein' th' Governor yersel."
Phemie held position in greater reverence than did Jean, who was
Jeffersonian in democratic principles, so far as her light went.
"Ye'll weel ken, Jean,
thae's na wummin but 'd be weel pleased t' be the Governor's lady an' sit
up beside 'm on th' throne, an' cairry th' keys o' th' graun kists; but to
be himsel, sic a thocht wad ne'er become ane o 's."
"Ye'd be fine an' wullin'
t' be th' Governor's lady, wad ye Phemie, na maitter wha th' Governor was
or what like man he wad be? " queried Jean.
"I'll no said that, Jean,"
replied Phemie anxiously, "I'll be na kennin' what I'll dae, an' I'll
needna, for I'll needna say ay or na to ane but th' Governor himsel, an
belike he'll ne'er spier at me whether I'll wull or no."
"Weel," said Jean, "we'll
na ane o'sken what's t' be dune, or what's t' be said; it's no aething a
lassie can wark for like pickin' berries 'r scoorin' th' flure: we'll ken
the pail 'll be fu' when we tak' so mony berries frae th' bushes, and the
flure'll come white when we hae dune rubbin' eneuch, but th' makin' o' a
lassie's future she'll canna hae na haun in. It's sair to think o't."
The three days of Rob's
absence, so long to look forward to, sped away quickly enough, and they
had nearly as much to tell him on his return as he had to relate of things
strange seen and heard at the County town.
He had visited the jail in
company with the other jurors, reported general condition good and
recommended a few needful alterations, had passed on some cases from the
southern townships; then this dreadful tragedy from right at home—Jamie
and Sandy listened with bated breath for this.
"We brocht in a true bill,"
said Rob, " an' the trial will coom aff at first term o' Queen's Bench.
It's a fearfu' thing t' sit in judgment on a man's life."
"It is that," said Jamie,
"but we'll a' hae t' do oor duty as ceetizens. Ither twal' men'll hae
harder wark. Ye'll ony said th' prisoner s'uld be tried, whilk na mon
could doot; noo, wull yon find it's doonricht murder, or ony an
innocent-like plan fer puttin' people awa?"
"Did ye see th' bit picthur
't yon fechted ower?" asked Elspeth, to change the subject.
"I did mind 't. It's hingin'
ower th' bench where th' judge sits. It's no that much tae fecht ower, ony
but it's th' sign o' authority, 'n' th' Gren-ville fowk didna want't tae
gang o't o' th' county." "We'll hae summat tae tell ye oorsel's, lad,"
said Sandy; "aiblins gude news: ane o' th' prospectors 's bin here."
" Ay, an' he drove home
Jean's coo, Bess," said Phemie, wishing to add testimony to his
qualifications.
"An' for why shud he drive
Bess home?" asked Rob sharply.
"His dog harried her, an'
he louped till th' cross roads so Jean wouldna hae to gang hersel',''
calmly responded Phemie.
Rob gave Jean a quick,
startled glance, as in fact did each of the rest. This was something new,
and Phemie was quite disturbed at its effect.
"Tell's a' aboot it, Jean,
lassie," said Jamie.
"Aweel, th' callant 'n' 's
dog were in th' bushes 'n' the dog frighted poor Bess till she was fair
mad, 'n' Mr. Maxwell bade me bide still 'n' he'd gang 'n' fetch 'er, an'
that's a' there's to tell o't; ony I'll weel ken he never druv a coo
afore."
"Ye'll ne'er said nowt
aboot 't th' nicht," said Rob sternly.
"I'll ne'er thocht on't—'twas
naethin' t' mind. I'll canna fash mysel' wi' ilka time a craw flees ower
m' heid," said Jean unconcernedly.
"Weel, he'll happen be o'
mair account t's than a hale flock o' craws," said Sandy, and then each of
the men told Rob of the mineral possibilities.
But the white, set look did
not leave Rob's face. The older ones thought that the fitting into place
and performing one of the duties falling to men as citizens "had wrought
on the lad," and they separated early to "gie 'm a chance t' sleep ower
't."
Before the dim shades of
twilight had given place to the young moon, the whip-poor-will's solo
found no answering chorus of human voices. But the minds of some of his
neighbors of the genus homo revelled in dreams of suddenly acquired wealth
—one did not close his eyes, and the first streak of daylight found him,
as the last streak of twilight had left him, with the whole world for him
turned topsy-turvey. One only—Jean—slept as soon as her head touched her
pillow, without a thought either backward or forward. |
