An Orkney Maid Part 4

"Is that woman thy granddaughter, Sunna?"

"A right guess thou hast made."

"Then I would rather not speak of her."

"Thy reason? What is it?"

"She is too clever for a simple woman like me. I have not two faces. I cannot make the same words mean two distinct and separate things.

Sunna has all thy self-wisdom, but she has not thy true heart and thy wise tongue."

"Listen to me! Things have come to this--Boris has made love to Sunna in the face of all Kirkwall. He has done this for more than a year.

Then for two weeks before he left for Leith he came not near my house, and if he met Sunna in any friend's house he was no longer her lover.

What is the meaning of this? My girl is unhappy and angry, and I myself am far from being satisfied; thou tell, what is wrong between them?"

"I would prefer neither to help nor hinder thee in this matter. There is a broad way between these two ways, that I am minded to take. It will be better for me to do so, and perhaps better for thee also."

"I thought I could count on thee for my friend. Bare is a man's back without friends behind it! In thee I trusted. While I feared and doubted, I thought, 'If worse comes I will go at once to Rahal Ragnor'--_Thou hast failed me_."

"Say not that--my old, dear friend! It is beyond truth. What I know I told to my husband; and I asked him if it would be kind and well to tell thee, and he said to me: 'Be not a bearer of ill news to Vedder.

Little can thou trust any evil report; few people are spoken of better than they deserve.' Then I gave counsel to myself, thus: Conall has four dear daughters, _he knows_. Conall loves his old friend Vedder; if he thought to interfere was right, he would advise Vedder to interfere or he would interfere for him, and my wish was to spare thee the sorrow that comes from women's tongues. I was also sure that if the news was true, it would find thee out--if not true, why should Rahal Ragnor sow seeds of suspicion and ill-will? Is Sunna disobedient to thee?"

"She is something worse--she deceives me. Her name is mixed up with some report--I know not what. No one loves me well enough to tell me what is wrong."

"Well, then, thou art more feared than loved. Few know thee well enough to risk thy anger and all know that Nors.e.m.e.n are bitter cruel to those who dare to say that one hair of their women is out of its place. Who, then, would dare to say this or that about thy granddaughter?"

"Rahal Ragnor could speak safely to me."

Then there was silence for a few moments and Rahal sat with her doubled-up left hand against her lips, gazing out of the window.

Vedder did not disturb her. He waited patiently until she said:

"If I tell thee what was told me, wilt thou visit the story upon my husband, or myself, or any of my children?"

Vedder took a signet ring from his finger and kissed it. "Rahal," he said, "I have kissed this ring of my fathers to seal the promise I shall make thee. If thou wilt give me thy confidence in this matter of Sunna Vedder, it shall be for thy good, and for the good of thy husband, and for the good of all thy children, as far as Adam Vedder can make it so."

"I ask a special promise for my son Boris, for he is concerned in this matter."

"Boris can take good care of Boris: nevertheless, I promise thee that I will not say or look or do, with hands or tongue, anything that will injure, or even annoy, Boris Ragnor. Unto the end of my life, I promise this. What may come after, I know not. If there should be a wrong done, we will fight it out elsewhere."

"Thy words are sufficient. Listen, then! There is a family, in the newest and best part of the town, called McLeod. They are yet strange here. They are Highland Scotch. Many say they are Roman Catholics.

They sing Jacobite songs, and they go not to any church. They have opened a great trading route; and they have brought many new customs and new ideas with them. A certain cla.s.s of our people make much of them; others are barely civil to them; the best of our citizens do not notice them at all. But they have plenty of money, and live extravagantly, and the garrison's officers are constantly seen there.

Do you know them?"

"I have heard of them."

"McLeod has a large trading fleet, and he has interfered with the business of Boris in many ways."

"Hast thou ever seen him? Tell me what he is like."

"I have seen him many times. He is a complete Highlander; tall, broad-shouldered and apparently very strong, also very graceful. He has high cheekbones, and a red beard, but all talk about him, and many think him altogether handsome."

"And thou? What dost thou think?"

"When I saw him, he was in earnest discussion with one of his men, and he was not using English but sputtering a torrent of shrill Gaelic, shrugging his shoulders, throwing his arms about, thrilling with excitement--but for all that, he was the picture of a man that most women would find irresistible."

"I have heard that he wears the Highland dress."

"Not on the street. They have many entertainments; he may wear it in some of them; but I think he is too wise to wear it in public. The Norseman is much indebted to the Scot--but it would not do to flaunt the feathered cap and philabeg too much--on Kirkwall streets."

"You ought to know."

"Yes, I am Highland Scotch, thank G.o.d! I understand this man, though I have never spoken to him. I know little about the Lowland Scot. He is a different race, and is quite a different man. You would not like him, Adam."

"I know him. He is a fine fellow; quiet, cool-blooded, has little to say, and wastes no strength in emotion. There's wisdom for you--but go on with thy talk, woman; it hurts me, but I must hear it to the end."

"Well, then, Kenneth McLeod has the appearance of a gentleman, though he is only a trader."

"Say _smuggler_, Rahal, and you might call him by a truer name."

"Many whisper the same word. Of a smuggler, a large proportion of our people think no wrong. That you know. He is a kind of hero to some girls. Many grand parties these McLeods give--music and dancing, and eating and drinking, and the young officers of the garrison are there, as well as our own gay young men; and where these temptations are, young women are sure to go. His aunt is mistress of his house.

"Now, then, this thing happened when Boris was last here. One night he heard two men talking as they went down the street before him. The rain was pattering on the flagged walk and he did not well understand their conversation, but it was altogether of the McLeods and their entertainments. Suddenly he heard the name of Sunna Vedder. Thrice he heard it, and he followed the men to the public house, called for whiskey, sat down at a table near them and pretended to be writing.

But he grew more and more angry as he heard the free and easy talk of the men; and when again they named Sunna, he put himself into their conversation and so learned they were going to McLeod's as soon as the hour was struck for the dance. Boris permitted them to go, laughing and boastful; an hour afterwards he followed."

"With whom did he go?"

"Alone he went. The dance was then in progress, and men and women were constantly going in and out. He followed a party of four, and went in with them. There was a crowd on the waxed floor. They were dancing a new measure called the polka; and conspicuous, both for her beauty and her dress, he saw Sunna among them. Her partner was Kenneth McLeod, and he was in full McLeod tartans. No doubt have I that Sunna and her handsome partner made a romantic and lovely picture."

"What must be the end of all this? What the devil am I to think?"

"Think no worse than needs be."

"What did Boris do--or say?"

"He walked rapidly to Sunna, and he said, 'Miss Vedder, thou art wanted at thy home--at once thou art wanted. Get thy cloak, and I will walk with thee.'"

"Then?"

"She was angry, and yet terrified; but she left the room. Boris feared she would try and escape him, so he went to the door to meet her.

Judge for thyself what pa.s.sed between them as Boris took her home. At first she was angry, afterwards, she cried and begged Boris not to tell thee. I am sure Boris was kind to her, though he told her frankly she was on a dangerous road. All this I had from Boris, and it is the truth; as for what reports have grown from it, I give them no heed.

Sunna was deceitful and imprudent. I would not think worse of her than she deserves."

"Rahal, I am much thy debtor. This affair I will now take into my own hands. To thee, my promise stands good for all my life days--and thou may tell Boris, it may be worth his while to forgive Sunna. There is some fault with him also; he has made love to Sunna for a long time, but never yet has he said to me--'I wish to make Sunna my wife!' What is the reason of that?"

"Well, then, Adam, a young man wishes to make sure of himself. Boris is much from home----"

"There it is! For that very cause, he should have made a straight clear road between us. I do not excuse Sunna, but I say that wherever there is a cross purpose, there has likely never been a straight one.

Thou hast treated me well, and I am thy debtor; but it shall be ill with all those who have led my child wrong--the more so, because the time chosen for their sinful deed makes it immeasurably more sinful."

"The time? What is thy meaning? The time was the usual hour of all entertainments. Even two hours after the midnight is quite respectable if all else is correct."