When he reached the wall, over the top of the gate he saw Grizzie
on her knees upon the round paving stones of the yard, stretching
up her old hands to him, as if he were some heavenly messenger just
descended, whose wrath she deprecated. He jumped over wall and
gate, ran to her, and lifted her to her feet, saying,
"Grizzie, wuman, what are ye aboot! Bless ye, Grizzie, I wad 'maist
as sune strive wi' my ain mither whaur she shines i' glory, as wi'
you!"
Grizzie's face began to work like that of a child in an agony
between pride and tears, just ere he breaks into a howl. She
gripped his arm hard with both hands, and at length faltered out,
gathering composure as she proceeded,
"Cosmo, ye're like an angel o' God to a' 'at hae to du wi' ye! Eh,
sic an accoont o' ye as I'll hae to gie to the mither o' ye whan I
win to see her! For surely they'll lat me see her, though they may
weel no think me guid eneuch to bide wi' her up there, for as lang
as we was thegither doon here! Tell me, sir, what wad ye hae me du.
But jist ae thing I maun say:--gien I hadna dune as I did du, I do
not see hoo we cud hae won throu' the winter."
"Grizzie," said Cosmo, "I ken ye did a' for the best, an' maybe it
was the best. The day may come, Grizzie, whan we'll gang thegither
to ca' upo' them 'at pat the meal i' yer pock, an' return them
thanks for their kin'ness."
"Eh, na, sir! That wad never du! What for sud they ken onything
aboot it! They war jist kin'-like at lairge, an' to naebody in
partic'lar, like the man wi' his sweirin'.
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