Man, ye're jist like Simon the Pharisee,
'at was sae scunnert at oor Lord 'cause he loot the wuman 'at was a
sinner tak her wull o' 's feet--the feet 'at they war gaein' to tak
their wull o' efter anither fashion afore lang. He wad hae shawn
her the door--Simon wad--like you, John; but the Lord tuik her
pairt. An' lat me tell you, John--an' I winna beg yer pardon for
sayin' 't, for it's God's trowth--lat me tell you, 'at gin ye gang
on that gait ye'll be sidin' wi' the Pharisee, an' no wi' oor Lord.
Ye may lippen to yer wife, ay, an' to Jessie hersel', that kens
better nor eyther o' ye, no to mak little o' virginity. Faith! they
think mair o' 't than ye do, I'm thinkin', efter a'; only it's no a
thing to say muckle aboot. An' it's no to stan' for a'thing, efter
a'.'
Silence followed. John sat down again, and buried his face in his
hands. At length he murmured from between them,
'The lassie's weel?'
'Ay,' answered Robert; and silence followed again.
'What wad ye hae me do?' asked John, lifting his head a little.
'I wad hae ye sen' a kin' word till her. The lassie's hert's jist
longin' efter ye. That's a'. And that's no ower muckle.'
''Deed no,' assented the mother.
John said nothing. But when his visitor rose he bade him a warm
good-night.
When Robert returned to Aberdeen he was the bearer of such a message
as made poor Jessie glad at heart. This was his first experience of
the sort.
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