Part 41 (1/2)
”There may be waur things nor a bit lee. Ony gait, ae thing's easy priven: ye lay verra dowie (poorly) for a month or sax ooks ance upon a time at Lossie Hoose, an' that was a feow years, we needna speir hoo mony, efter ye was lichtened o' the t.i.ther. Whan they hear that at that time ye gae birth till a lad bairn, the whilk was stown awa', an' never hard tell o' till noo--'It may weel be,'
fowk'll say: 'them 'at has drunk wad drink again!' It wad affoord rizzons, ye see, an' guid anes, for the bairn bein' putten oot a'
sicht, and wad mak the haul story mair nor likly i' the jeedgment o' a' 'at hard it.”
”You scandalous woman! That would be to confess to all the world that he was not the son of my late husband!”
”They say that o' him 'at is, an' hoo muckle the waur are ye? Lat them say 'at they like, sae lang 's we can shaw 'at he cam o' your body, an' was born i' wedlock? Ye hae yer Ian's ance mair, for ye hae a sin 'at can guide them--and ye can guide him. He's a bonny lad--bonny eneuch to be yer leddys.h.i.+p's--and his lords.h.i.+p's: an' sae, as I was remarkin', i' the jeedgment a' ill thoucht.i.t fowk, the mair likly to be heir to auld Stewart o' Kirkbyres!”
She laughed huskily.
”But I maun hae a scart a' yer pen, mem, afore I wag tongue aboot it,” she went on. ”I ken brawly hoo to set it gauin'! I sanna be the first to ring the bell. Na, na; I s' set Miss Horn's Jean jawin', an' it 'll be a' ower the toon in a jiffy--at first in a kin o'
a sough 'at naebody 'ill unnerstan': but it 'll grow looder an'
plainer. At the lang last it 'll come to yer leddys.h.i.+p's hearin: an' syne ye hae me taen up an' questoned afore a justice o' the peace, that there may be no luik o' ony compack atween the twa o'
's. But, as I said afore, I'll no muv till I ken a' aboot the lad first, an' syne get a scart o' yer pen, mem.”
”You must be the devil himself!” said the other, in a tone that was not of displeasure.
”I hae been tellt that afore, an' wi' less rizzon,” was the reply --given also in a tone that was not of displeasure.
”But what if we should be found out?”
”Ye can lay 't a' upo' me.”
”And what will you do with it?”
”Tak it wi' me,” was the answer, accompanied by another husky laugh.
”Where to?”
”Speir nae questons, an' ye'll be tellt nae lees. Ony gait, I s' lea' nae track ahin' me. An' for that same sake, I maun hae my pairt i' my han' the meenute the thing's been sworn till. Gien ye fail me, ye'll sune see me get mair licht upo' the subjec', an'
confess till a great mistak. By the Michty, but I'll sweir the verra contrar the neist time I'm hed up! Ay, an' ilka body 'ill believe me. An' whaur'll ye be than, my leddy? For though I micht mistak, ye cudna! Faith! they'll hae ye ta'en up for perjury.”
”You're a dangerous accomplice,” said the lady.
”I'm a tule ye maun tak by the han'le, or ye'll rue the edge,”
returned the other quietly.
”As soon then as I get a hold of that misbegotten elf--”
”Mean ye the yoong laird, or the yoong markis, mem?”
”You forget, Mrs Catanach, that you are speaking to a lady!”
”Ye maun hae been unco like ane ae nicht, ony gait, mem. But I'm dune wi' my jokin'.”
”As soon, I say, as I get my poor boy into proper hands, I shall be ready to take the next step.”
”What for sod ye pit it aff till than? He canna du muckle ae w'y or ither.”