Lord Lick-my-loof turned and went, and Grizzie set to work like a fury, probably stung by the sense that she had gone too far. Old woman as she was, she had soon overtaken Cosmo, but he was sorely vexed, and did not speak to her. When after a while the heat of her wrath was abated, Grizzie could not endure the silence, for in every motion of Cosmo’s body before her she read that she had hurt him grievously. “Laird!” she cried at last, “my stren’th’s gane frae me. Gien ye dinna speyk to me, I’ll drap.” Cosmo stopped his scythe in mid swing, and turned to her. How could he resist such an appeal! “Grizzie,” he said, “I winna deny ’at ye hae vext me,--” “Ye needna; I wadna believe ye. But ye dinna ken yon man as I du, or ye wadna be sae sair angert at onything wuman cud say til ’im. Gien I was to tell ye what I ken o’ ’im, ye wad be affrontit afore me, auld wife as I am. Haith, ye wadna du anither stroke for ’im!” “It’s for the siller, no for _him_, Grizzie. But gien he war as ill as ye ca’ ’im, a’ the same, as ye weel ken, the Lord maks his sun to rise on the evil an’ on the good, an’ sen’s rain on the just an’ on the unjust!” “Ow ay! the Lord can afoord it!” remarked Grizzie. “An’ them ’at wad be his, maun afoord it tu, Grizzie!” returned Cosmo. “Whaur’s the guid o’ ca’in’ ill names, ’uman?” “Ill’s the trowth o’ them ’at’s ill. What for no set ill names to ill duers?” “Cause a christian ’s b’un’ to destroy the warks o’ the evil ane; an’ ca’in’ names raises mair o’ them. The only thing ’at maks awa’ wi’ ill, is the man himsel’ turnin’ again’ ’t, an’ that he’ll never du for ill names. Ye wad never gar me repent that gait, Grizzie. Hae mercy upo’ the auld sinner, ’uman.” The pace at which they were making up for lost time was telling upon Grizzie, and she was silent. When she spoke again it was upon another subject. “I cud jest throttle that grieve there!” she said. “To see ’im the nicht afore last come hame to the verra yett wi’ Aggie, was enouch to anger the sanct ’at I’m no.” Jealousy sent a pang through the heart of Cosmo. Was not Aggie one of the family--more like a sister to him than any other could ever be? The thought of her and a man like Crawford was unendurable. “She cudna weel help hersel’,” he rejoined; “an’ whaur’s the maitter, sae lang as she has naething to say til ’im?” “An’ wha kens hoo lang that may be?” returned Grizzie. “The hert o’ a wuman’s no deceitfu’ as the Buik says o’ a man’s, an’ sae ’s a heap the easier deceivt. The chield’s no ill-luikin’! an’ I s’ warran’ he’s no sae rouch wi’ a yoong lass as wi’ an auld wife.” “Grizzie, ye wadna mint ’at oor Aggie’s ane to be ta’en wi’ the luiks o’ a man!” “What for no--whan it’s a’ the man has! A wuman’s hert’s that saft, whiles, ’at she’ll jist tak ’im, no to be sair upon ’im. I wadna warran’ ony lass! Gien the fallow cairry a fair face, she’ll sweir her conscience doon he maun hae a guid hert.”