Memoirs and resolutions of Adam Graeme of Mossgray, including some chronicles of the borough of FendieOliphant, Mrs. (Margaret)
History
Memoirs and resolutions of Adam Graeme of Mossgray, including some chronicles of the borough of Fendie
Oliphant, Mrs. (Margaret)
Bildungsromans; Scotland -- History -- 19th century -- Fiction; Youth -- Scotland -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
The old woman cast a jealous, angry look upon the sunburnt face of Hew
Murray--her tone became abrupt and peevish.
“I’m no to ken wha ye’re meaning, Madam--I never saw ye before nor the
gentleman neither. I’ve lived in Murrayshaugh a’ my days, but the like
o’ me wasna to see a’ the company; and how should I ken the gentleman?”
The sharp black eyes twinkled through a tear affectionate and angry. The
old woman was afraid of these stranger people, afraid of the singularly
familiar faces which she thought she had seen in a dream.
“Adam,” said Hew Murray, “I think _you_ must tell her who we are; or
shall I, Lucy? Do you forget how you packed the Murrayshaugh apples for
me, Isabell, when I went to India? and the moss you put round them in
the basket? I think I have some of it still. But have you really
forgotten--did you think, Adam, that any one could ever forget our
sister Lucy Murray?”
Trembling and considerably excited Isabell stood on the defensive still.
“I never kent ane of the name but Miss Lucy, and this lady micht be Miss
Lucy’s mother. Do ye think I dinna ken? Oh, Mossgray! it’s no’ like you
to let folk make a fuil o’ an auld lone woman!”
Lucy disengaged herself from Mossgray’s arm.
“Come, Isabell, we will let them in. And so you remembered poor Lucy
Murray and thought that time had spared her? But I am older than you. I
used to have my white roses here. What has become of my roses? But I
have something better to show you; my son, Isabell, my young Hew; and
now come, we’ll let them in.”
And Lucy turned along the narrow path to Isabell’s back-door; jealously,
and in sullen silence, the old woman followed her.
“But, Hew, Hew, where have you been?” repeated the astonished Mossgray,
as they waited for the opening of the great door.
“In India, Adam; all this time buried in the depths of India, without
having any power or means of letting you know that I lived; but wait,
wait till we are all together. You shall hear the whole of my story
to-night.”
The heavy door swung open. Lucy had opened it, and Isabell, jealous and
silent, stood behind.
“Come in; come home, Hew,” said Lucy Murray. “Let us enter our father’s
house in peace and thankfulness as we left it with sorrow.”
They entered in silence, and silently the brother and sister went
through the faded, dreary rooms; while the old woman followed them like
a shadow.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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