"
"Come home," said Arctura.
Donal went, and the first person he saw when he entered the house
was Eppy. She turned instantly away, and left the room: he could not
help seeing why.
The old woman welcomed him with her usual cordiality, but not her
usual cheerfulness: he had scarcely noted since her husband's death
any change on her manner till now: she looked weary of the world.
She sat down, smoothed her apron on her knees, gave him one glance
in the face, then looked down at her hands, and said nothing.
"I ken what ails ye, Doory," said Donal; "but i' the name o' him
'at's awa', hearken til me.--The lass is no lost, naither is the
Lord asleep. Yer lamb 's been sair misguidit, sair pluckit o' her
bonny woo', but gien for that she haud the closer by the Lord's
flock, she'll ken it wasna for want o' his care the tod got a grup
o' her. It's a terrible pity for the bonny cratur, disgracin' them
'at aucht her! What for winna yoong fowk believe them 'at speyks
true, but wull believe them 'at tells them little but lees! Still,
it's no as gien she had been stealin'! She's wrangt her puir sel',
an' she's wrangt us a', an' she's wrangt the Lord; but for a' that
ye canna luik doon upon her as upo' the man 'at's grown rich at the
cost o' his neebours. There's mony a gran' prood leddy 'ill hae to
stan' aside to lat Eppy pass up, whan we're 'afore the richteous
judge.
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