Alec Forbes of Howglen Part 84

"Dinna greit. The Lord preserve's! dinna greit. I winna say anither word aboot it. What's Curly that sic a ane as you sud greit for him?

Faith! it's nearhan' as guid as gin ye lo'ed me. I'm as prood's a turkey-c.o.c.k," averred Curly in a voice ready to break with emotion of a very different sort from pride.

"It's a sair thing that things winna gang richt!" said Annie at last, after many vain attempts to stop the fountain by drying the stream of her tears.?-I believe they were the first words of complaint upon things in general that she ever uttered.

"Is't my wyte, Curly?" she added.

"Deil a bit o' 't!" cried Curly. "And I beg yer pardon for sweirin'.

Your wyte! I was aye a fule. But maybe," he added, brightening a little, "I micht hae a chance?-some day-?some day far awa', ye ken, Annie?"

"Na, na, Curly. Dinna think o' 't. There's no chance for ye, dear Curly."

His face flushed red as a peony.

"That lick-the-dirt 's no gaun to gar ye marry the colliginer?"

"Dinna ye be feared that I'll marry onybody I dinna like, Curly."

"Ye dinna like him. I houp to G.o.d!"

"I canna bide him."

"Weel, maybe?-Wha kens? I _daurna_ despair."

"Curly, Curly, I maun be honest wi' you, as ye hae been wi' me. Whan ance a body's seen ane, they canna see anither, ye ken. Wha cud hae been at the schule as I was sae lang, and syne taen oot o' the water, ye ken, and syne?-?"

Annie stopped.

"Gin ye mean Alec Forbes?-" said Curly, and stopped too. But presently he went on again?-"Gin I war to come atween Alec Forbes and you, hangin' wad be ower gude for me. But has Alec?-"

"Na, nae a word. But haud yer tongue. Curly. Ance is a' wi' me.-?It's nae mony la.s.ses wad hae tell't ye sic a thing. But I ken it's richt.

Ye're the only ane that has my secret. Keep it, Curly."

"Like Deith himsel'," said Curly. "Ye _are_ a braw la.s.s."

"Ye maunna think ill o' me, Curly. I hae tell't ye the trowth."

"Jist lat me kiss yer bonnie han' and I'll gang content."

Wisely done or not, it was truth and tenderness that made her offer her lips instead. He turned in silence, comforted for the time, though the comfort would evaporate long before the trouble would sink.

"Curly!" cried Annie, and he came back.

"I think that's young Robert Bruce been to Clippenstrae to speir efter me. Dinna lat him come farther. He's an unceevil fallow."

"Gin he wins by me, he maun hae mair feathers nor I hae," said Curly, and walked on.

Annie followed slowly. When she saw the men meet she sat down.

Curly spoke first, as he came up.

"A fine day, Robbie," he said.

Bruce made no reply, for relations had altered since school-days. It was an evil moment however in which to carry a high chin to Willie Macwha, who was out of temper with the whole world except Annie Anderson. He strode up to the _colliginer_.

"I said it was a fine day," he repeated.

"Well, I said nothing to the contrary," answered Bruce, putting on his English.

"It's the custom i' this country to mak what answer a man has the sense to mak whan he's spoken till ceevily."

"I considered you uncivil."

"That's jist what a bonnie la.s.sie sittin' yonner said aboot you whan she prayed me no to lat you gang a step nearer till her."

Curly found it at the moment particularly agreeable to quarrel.

Moreover he had always disliked Bruce, and now hated him because Annie had complained of him.

"I have as much right to walk here as you or any one else," said Bruce.

"Maybe; but even colliginers doesna aye get their richts. Ae richt whiles rides upo' the tap o' anither. And Annie Anderson has a richt no to be disturbit, whan her uncle, honest man, 's jist lyin' waitin'

for's coffin i' the hoose yonner."

"I'm her cousin."

"It's sma' comfort ony o' yer breed ever brocht her. Cousin or no, ye sanna gang near her."

"I'll go where I please," said Bruce, moving to pa.s.s.

Curly moved right in front of him.

"By me ye shanna gang. I hae lickit ye afore for bein' ill till her; and I will again gin ye gang a step nearer till her. She doesna want ye. Faith I will! But I wad raither no fecht afore her. Sae jist come back to the toon wi' me, and we'll say nae mair aboot it."

"I'll see you d.a.m.ned!" said Bruce.

"Maybe ye may, bein' likly to arrive at the spot first. But i' the mean time, gin ye dinna want her to see ye lickit, come doon into yon how, and we'll jist sattle aff han' wha's the best man o' the twa."

"I won't move a step to please you or any one else," returned Bruce. He saw that his safety consisted in keeping within sight of Annie.

Curly saw on his part that, a few steps nearer to where Annie sat, the path led behind a stunted ash-tree. So he stepped aside with the proverb,

"He that will to Coupar, maun to Coupar."

Without deigning a word, Bruce walked on, full of pride, concluding that Curly's heart had failed him. But the moment he was behind the tree, Curly met him from the other side of it. Then Bruce's anger, if not his courage, rose, and with an oath, he pushed against him to pa.s.s.

But the sensation he instantly felt in his nose astonished him; and the blood beginning to flow cowed him at once. He put his handkerchief to his face, turned, and walked back to Glamerton. Curly followed him at a few yards' distance, regretting that he had showed the white feather so soon, as, otherwise, he would have had the pleasure of thrashing him properly. He saw him safe in at the back-door, and then went to his own father's shop.

After a short greeting, very short on Curly's part,

"Hoot! Willie," said his father, "what's come ower ye? Ye luik as gin some la.s.s had said _na_ to ye."