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〃But there's been sic a heap o' things f'un' oot sin' syne； i' the
min' o' man； as weel 's i' the warl' ootside；〃 said Andrew； 〃that
sic a language wad be mair like a bairn's tongue nor a mither's； I'm
thinkin'； whan set against a' 'at wad be to speyk aboot！〃
〃Ye're verra richt there； I dinna doobt。 But hoo easy wad it be for
ilk ane to bring in the new word he wantit； haein' eneuch common
afore to explain 't wi'！ Afore lang the language wad hae intil 't
ilka word 'at was worth haein' in ony language 'at ever was spoken
sin' the toor o' Babel。〃
〃Eh； sirs； but it's dreidfu' to think o' haein' to learn sae
muckle！〃 said the old woman。 〃I'm ower auld an' dottlet！〃
Her husband laughed again。
〃I dinna see what ye hae to lauch at！〃 she said； laughing too。
〃Ye'll be dottlet yersel' gien ye live lang eneuch！〃
〃I'm thinkin'；〃 said Andrew； 〃but I dinna ken'at it maun be a
man's ain wyte gien age maks him dottlet。 Gien he's aye been
haudin' by the trowth； I dinna think he'll fin' the trowth； hasna
hauden by him。But what I was lauchin' at was the thoucht o'
onybody bein' auld up there。 We'll a' be yoong there； lass！〃
〃It sall be as the Lord wulls；〃 returned his wife。
〃It sall。 We want nae mair； an' eh； we want nae less！〃 responded
her husband。
So the evening wore away。 The talk was to the very mind of Donal；
who never loved wisdom so much as when she appeared in peasant…garb。
In that garb he had first known her； and in the form of his mother。
〃I won'er；〃 said Doory at length； 〃'at yoong Eppy 's no puttin' in
her appearance！ I was sure o' her the nicht： she hasna been near 's
a' the week！〃
The cobbler turned to Donal to explain。 He would not talk of things
their guest did not understand； that would be like shutting him out
after taking him in！
〃Yoong Eppy 's a gran'child； sirthe only ane we hae。 She's a weel
behavet lass； though ta'en up wi' the things o' this warl' mair nor
her grannie an' me could wuss。 She's in a place no far frae
hereno an easy ane； maybe； to gie satisfaction in； but she's duin'
no that ill。〃
〃Hoot； Anerew！ she's duin' jist as well as ony lassie o' her years
could in justice be expeckit；〃 interposed the grandmother。 〃It's
seldom the Lord 'at sets auld heid upo' yoong shoothers。〃
The words were hardly spoken when a light foot was heard coming up
the stair。
〃But here she comes to answer for hersel'！〃 she added cheerily。
The door of the room opened； and a good…looking girl of about
eighteen came in。
〃Weel； yoong Eppy； hoo 's a' wi' ye？〃 said the old man。
The grandmother's name was Elspeth； the grand…daughter's had
therefore always the prefix。
〃Brawly； thank ye； gran'father；〃 she answered。 〃Hoo 's a' wi'
yersel'？〃
〃Ow； weel cobblet！〃 he replied。
〃Sit ye doon；〃 said the grandmother； 〃by the spark o' fire； the
nicht 's some airy like。〃
〃Na； grannie； I want nae fire；〃 said the girl。 〃I hae run a' the
ro'd to get a glimp' o' ye 'afore the week was oot。〃
〃Hoo 's things gaein' up at the castel？〃
〃Ow； sic…like 's usualonly the hoosekeeper 's some dowy； an' that
puts mair upo' the lave o' 's： whan she's weel； she's no ane to
spare hersel'or ither fowk aither！I wadna care； gien she wud but
lippen til a body！〃 concluded young Eppy； with a toss of her head。
〃We maunna speyk evil o' dignities； yoong Eppy！〃 said the cobbler；
with a twinkle in his eye。
〃Ca' ye mistress Brookes a dignity； gran'father！〃 said the girl；
with a laugh that was nowise rude。
〃I do；〃 he answered。 〃Isna she ower ye？ Haena ye to du as she tells
ye？ 'Atween her an' you that's eneuch： she's ane o' the dignities
spoken o'。〃
〃I winna dispute it。 But； eh； it's queer wark yon'er！〃
〃Tak ye care； yoong Eppy！ we maun haud oor tongues aboot things
committit til oor trust。 Ane peyt to serve in a hoose maunna tre't
the affairs o' that hoose as gien they war her ain。〃
〃It wad be weel gien a'body about the hoose was as partic'lar as ye
wad hae me； gran'father！〃
〃Hoo's my lord； lass？〃
〃Ow； muckle the sameaye up the stair an' doon the stair the
forepairt o' the nicht； an' maist inveesible a' day。〃
The girl cast a shy glance now and then at Donal； as if she claimed
him on her side； though the older people must be humoured。 Donal
was not too simple to understand her： he gave her look no reception。
Bethinking himself that they might have matters to talk about； he
rose； and turning to his hostess； said；
〃Wi' yer leave； gudewife； I wad gang to my bed。 I hae traivelt a
maitter o' thirty mile the day upo' my bare feet。〃
〃Eh； sir！〃 she answered； 〃I oucht to hae considert that！Come；
yoong Eppy； we maun get the gentleman's bed made up for him。〃
With a toss of her pretty head； Eppy followed her grandmother to the
next room； casting a glance behind her that seemed to ask what she
meant by calling a lad without shoes or stockings a gentleman。 Not
the less readily or actively； however； did she assist her
grandmother in preparing the tired wayfarer's couch。 In a few
minutes they returned； and telling him the room was quite ready for
him； Doory added a hope that he would sleep as sound as if his own
mother had made the bed。
He heard them talking for a while after the door was closed； but the
girl soon took her leave。 He was just falling asleep in the luxury
of conscious repose； when the sound of the cobbler's hammer for a
moment roused him； and he knew the old man was again at work on his
behalf。 A moment more and he was too fast asleep for any Cyclops'
hammer to wake him。
CHAPTER VII。
A SUNDAY。
Notwithstanding his weariness Donal woke early； for he had slept
thoroughly。 He rose and dressed himself； drew aside the little
curtain that shrouded the window； and looked out。 It was a lovely
morning。 His prospect was the curious old main street of the town。
The sun that had shone into it was now shining from the other side；
but not a shadow of living creature fell upon the rough stones！
Yesthere was a cat shooting across them like the culprit he
probably was！ If there was a garden to the house； he would go and
read in the fresh morning air！
He stole softly through the outer room； and down the stair； found
the back…door and a water…butt； then a garden consisting of two or
three plots of flowers well cared for； and ended his discoveries
with a seat surrounded and almost canopied with honeysuckle； where
doubtless the cobbler sometimes smoked his pipe！ 〃Why does he not
work here rather than in the archway？〃 thought Donal。 But； dearly
as he loved flowers and light and the free air of the garden； the
old cobbler loved the faces of his kind better。 His prayer for
forty years had been to be made like his master； and if that prayer
was not answered； how was it that； every year he lived； he found
himself loving the faces of his fellows more and more？ Ever as they
passed； instead of interfering with his contemplations； they gave
him more and more to think： were these faces； he asked； the symbols
of a celestial language in which God talked to him？
Donal sat down； and took his Greek Testament from his pocket。 But
all at once； brilliant as was the sun； the light of his life went
ou