Part 2 (2/2)
”The things we ken best, are the things we were never told. I will not die till I have seen Joris Van Heemskirk smoking his pipe with you on his ain hearth, and in his ain summer-house. He can paint some new mottoes o'er it then.”
She was on the verge of crying, but she spoke with an irresistible faith, and in spite of his stubborn loyalty to King George, Semple could not put away the conviction that his wife's words were true. They had all the force of an intuition. He felt that the conversation could not be continued with Joris Van Heemskirk as its subject, and he said, ”I wonder what is keeping Neil? He told me he would be hame early to-night.”
”Then you saw him to-day?”
”He was in the King's Arms, when I went there to read my letter--he and Governor Robertson--and I had a few words wi' the Governor anent Dr.
Rogers and the reopening of our kirk.”
”You did well and right to speak to them. It is a sin and a shame in a Christian country to be kept out o' Sabbath ordinances.”
”He told me we had the Church o' England to go to.”
”Aye; and we hae the King o' England to serve.”
”Here comes Neil, and I am glad o' it. Somehow, he makes things mair bearable.”
The young man entered with a grave cheerfulness; he bowed to his father, kissed his mother, and then drew a chair to the cold hearth. In a few minutes he rang the bell, and when it was answered, bid the negro bring hot coals and kindle the fire.
”Neil, my dear lad,” said the Elder, ”are you remembering that wood is nearly ungetable--ten pounds or mair a cord? I hae but little left. I'm feared it won't see the war out.”
”If wood is getable at any price, I am not willing to see mother and you s.h.i.+vering. Burn your wood as you need it, and trust for the future.”
”I hae told your father the same thing often, Neil; careful, of course, we must be, but sparing is not caring. There was once a wife who always took what she wanted, and she always had enough.” The fire blazed merrily, and Neil smiled, and the Elder stretched out his thin legs to the heat, and the whole feeling of the room was changed. Then Madame said:
”Neil, your brother Alexander has gane to Scotland.”
”I expected him to take that step.”
”And he is sending little Maria to us, until he gets a home for her.”
”I should not think she will be much in the way, mother. She is only a child.”
”She is nearly seventeen years old. She won't be much in my way; it is you that will hae to take her out--to military b.a.l.l.s and the like.”
”Nonsense! I can't have a child trailing after me in such places.”
”Vera likely you will trail after her. You will be better doing that than after some o' the ladies o' Clinton's court.”
”I can tell you, Neil,” said Neil's father, ”that it is a vera pleasant sensation, to hae a bonnie la.s.sie on your arm wha is, in a manner, your ain. I ken naething in the world that gives a man such a superior feeling.”
Neil looked at the speaker with a curious admiration. He could not help envying the old man who had yet an enthusiasm about lovely women.
”I fancy, sir,” he answered, ”that the women of your youth were a superior creation to those of the present day. I cannot imagine myself with any woman whose society would give me that sensation.”
”Women are always the same, Neil--yesterday, to-day, and forever. What they are now, they were in Abraham's time, and they will be when time shall be nae langer. Is not that so, mother?”
”Maybe; but you'll tak' notice, they hae suited a' kinds o' men, in a'
countries and in a' ages. I dare say our little Maria will hae her lovers as well as the lave o' them, and her uncle Neil will be to keep an eye on them. But I'm weary and sleepy, and if you men are going to talk the fire out I'll awa' to my room and my bed.”
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