He'll hae naething to say to me, but gang to hell wi'
ye for a bitch.'
'He never said sic a word in 's life. He wad say, "Poor thing! she
was ill-used. Ye maunna sin ony mair. Come, and I'll help ye." He
wad say something like that. He'll save a body whan she wadna think
it.'
'An' I hae gien my bonnie bairn to the deevil wi' my ain han's!
She'll come to hell efter me to girn at me, an' set them on me wi'
their reid het taings, and curse me. Och hone! och hone!'
'Hearken to me,' said Falconer, with as much authority as he could
assume. But she rolled herself over again in the corner, and lay
groaning.
'Tell me whaur she is,' said Falconer, 'and I'll tak her oot o'
their grup, whaever they be.'
She sat up again, and stared at him for a few moments without
speaking.
'I left her wi' a wuman waur nor mysel',' she said at length. 'God
forgie me.'
'He will forgie ye, gin ye tell me whaur she is.'
'Do ye think he will? Eh, Maister Faukner! The wuman bides in a
coort off o' Clare Market. I dinna min' upo' the name o' 't, though
I cud gang till 't wi' my een steekit. Her name's Widow Walker--an
auld rowdie--damn her sowl!'
'Na, na, ye maunna say that gin ye want to be forgien yersel'. I'll
fin' her oot. An' I'm thinkin' it winna be lang or I hae a grup o'
her. I'm gaein' back to Lonnon in twa days or three.'
'Dinna gang till I'm deid. Bide an' haud the deevil aff o' me. He
has a grup o' my hert noo, rivin' at it wi' his lang nails--as lang
's birds' nebs.
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