'No, no,' I said, a tide of grief rushing upon me; 'but there is one who perhaps--there is one I love more dearly than your mother loved her babes--' Sinfi rose, and came and placed her hand upon my shoulder and whispered, 'She ain't a-starvin', brother; she never starved on the hills. She's only jest a-beggin' her bread for a little while, that's all.' And then, after laying her hand upon my forehead, soft and soothing, she returned to Cyril's side. 'No one who has never wanted food knows what life is,' said Wilderspin, taking but little heed of even so violent an interruption as this.'No one has been entirely educated, Mr. Aylwin--no one knows the real primal meaning of that pathetic word Man--no one knows the true meaning of Man's position here among the other living creatures of this world, if he has never wanted food. Hunger gives a new seeing to the eyes.' 'That's as true as the blessed stars,' muttered old Mrs. Boswell, Rhona's beloved granny, who was squatting on a rug next to her son Jericho, with a pipe in her mouth, weaving fancy baskets, and listening intently. 'The very airth under your feet seems to be a-sinkin' away, and the sweet sunshine itself seems as if it all belonged to the Gorgios, when you're a-follerin' the patrin with the emp'y belly.' 'I thank God,' continued Wilderspin, 'that I once wanted food.' 'More nor I do,' muttered old Mrs. Boswell, as she went on weaving; 'no mammy as ever felt a little chavo [Footnote 1] a-suckin' at her burk [Footnote 2] never thanked God for wantin' food: it dries the milk, or else it sp'iles it.' [Footnote 1: Child.] [Footnote 2: Bosom.]