At this moment the latch of the door was lifted, and in walked Robert Bruce. He gave a stare when he saw Annie, for he had thought her out of the way at Howglen, and said in a tone of asperity, "Ye're a' gait at ance, Annie Anderson. A doonricht rintheroot!" "Lat the bairn be, Maister Bruce," said Tibbie. "She's doin' the Lord's will, whether ye may think it or no. She's visitin' them 'at's i' the prison-hoose o' the dark. She's ministerin' to them 'at hae mony preeviledges nae doot, but hae room for mair." "I'm no saying naething," said Bruce. "Ye are sayin'. Ye're offendin' ane o' his little anes. Tak ye tent o' the millstane." "Hoot toot! Tibbie. I was only wissin 'at she wad keep a sma' part o' her ministrations for her ain hame and her ain fowk 'at has the ministerin' to her. There's the mistress and me jist mairtyrs to that chop! And there's the bit infant in want o' some _ministration_ noo and than, gin that be what ye ca' 't." A grim compression of the mouth was all Tibbie's reply. She did not choose to tell Robert Bruce that although she was blind--and probably _because_ she was blind--she heard rather more gossip than anybody else in Glamerton, and that consequently his appeal to her sympathy had no effect upon her. Finding she made no other answer, Bruce turned to Annie. "Noo, Annie," said he, "ye're nae wantit here ony langer. I hae a word or twa to say to Tibbie. Gang hame and learn yer lessons for the morn." "It's Setterday nicht," answered Annie. "But ye hae yer lessons to learn for the Mononday." "Ow ay! But I hae a buik or twa to tak' hame to Mistress Forbes. And I daursay I'll bide, and come to the kirk wi' her i' the mornin'." Now, although all that Bruce wanted was to get rid of her, he went on to oppose her; for common-minded people always feel that they give the enemy an advantage if they show themselves content. "It's no safe to rin aboot i' the mirk (dark). It's dingin' on forbye. Ye'll be a' wat, and maybe fa' into the dam. Ye couldna see yer han' afore yer face--ance oot o' the toon." "I ken the road to Mistress Forbes's as weel's the road up your garret-stairs, Mr Bruce." "Ow nae doobt!" he answered, with a sneering acerbity peculiar to him, in which his voice seemed sharpened and concentrated to a point by the contraction of his lips. "And there's tykes aboot," he added, remembering Annie's fear of dogs. But by this time Annie, gentle as she was, had got a little angry. "The Lord'll tak care o' me frae the dark and the tykes, and the lave o' ye, Mr Bruce," she said. And bidding Tibbie good-night, she took up her books, and departed, to wade through the dark and the snow, trembling lest some unseen _tyke_ should lay hold of her as she went.