Christine: A Fife Fisher Girl Part 26

Scoundrel is gude enough to specify a scoundrel. I hae counts against him, and he must clear himself, before I'll pa.s.s his christened name o'er my lips."

"What are your counts against him? Maybe I can speak a word to explain them."

"Not you! First, he has, beyond a' doubt, deceived the la.s.s's brother.

He should hae spoken to him first of all, and the young man wouldna hae said insulting words if there wasna cause for the same."

"The lady was of full age, and sae had the right to please herself, Mither."

"She had not. She was as bad as Neil, or she would have sought her brother's consent."

"Perhaps Neil wouldna let her tell her brither."

"That's like enough. He has got the girl, and that means he has got full control o' her money. Then he breaks his promise to go into partnership in business with the brother, and will open a law office in his ain name! He'll open it, ye ken, wi' the Rath siller, in his ain name! Having got plenty o' the Rath siller to set himsel' up, he drops the man whom he used to fleech and flatter enou' to sicken a honest man. And he trusts to you to mak' all comfortable here--but no word or whisper anent the ninety pounds he's owing you. He has gotten mair money than he expect.i.t wi' his stolen wife, and yet he hasna a thought for the sister wha emptied the small savings o' her lifetime into his unthankfu' hands. Wae's me, but I'm the sorrowfu' mither this day."

"For a' that, Mither, dinna mak' yoursel' sick. Luck o' some kind threw the Rath siller in Neil's way."

"Ay, and the scoundrel has ta'en all he could get o' it."

"That's the way o' the warld, Mother."

"It isn't the way o' honest, honorable men. He ought to hae spoken to the young man plainly, and he ought not to hae quarreled wi' him anent their business proposal. I understand that the Rath lad was na very knowing in the law nor indeed notable for managing his ain affairs, in any way."

"Weel, Mither, it comes to this--Neil had made up his mind to tak' his living out o' the Rath purse, and he finally decided that he would rayther tak' it from the lady, than the gentleman."

Margot laughed at this remark. "You'll not be far wrang in that observe, Christine," she said, "but the lad may be far out o' his reckoning, and I'm not carin' if it be so. Nae doubt he thought the la.s.sie wad be easier controlled than her brither, who, I was led to believe, had a vera uncertain temper. Roberta may pay a' our wrangs yet. Little women are gey often parfect Tartars."

"Mither! Mither! You wouldn't wish your ain lad to marry a Tartar o' a wife, and sae be miserable."

"Wouldn't I? A stranger winning their way wi' the Raths' siller, wouldna hae troubled me, it would hae been out o' my concern.

Christine, there are two things no good woman likes to do. One is to bring a fool into the warld, and the other is to bring one o' them clever fellows, who live on other people's money, instead o' working their way up, step by step. I'm shamed o' my motherhood this day!"

"Na, na, Mither! Think of Norman, and Allan, and the lave o' the lads!"

"And forbye, I think shame o' any son o' mine being married in a foreign country, in France itsel', the French being our natural enemies."

"Not just now, Mither, not just now."

"Our natural enemies! and a kind o' people, that dinna even speak like Christians. Ye ken I hae heard their language in this vera room, Christine, and sorry I am to hae permitted the like."

"There's nae harm in it, Mither."

"It led him astray. If Ruleson's lad hadna kent the French tongue, he would hae persuaded thae Raths that America was the only place to see the warld in."

"Well, Mither, he went to the English church in France--the Protestant Episcopal Church!"

"Another great wrang to our family. The Rulesons are of the best Covenanting stock. What would John Knox say to a Ruleson being married in an Episcopal Church, at the very horns o' the altar, as it were? An unchristened Turk could do naething more unfitting."

"Mither, I hear feyther and Jamie coming up the hill. Let us hae peace this night. We will tak' counsel o' our pillows, and in the morning we'll see things in a different way, perhaps."

"Perhaps!"

And the scorn Margot threw into the seven letters of that one word, "perhaps," would have been an impossibility to any woman less ignorant, or less prejudiced in favor of her own creed and traditions. For it is in Ignorance that Faith finds its most invincible stronghold.

Ruleson came in with a newspaper in his hand. Jamie was with him, but as soon as he entered the cottage, he snuggled up to his grandmother, and told her softly, "Grandfather has had some bad news. It came in a newspaper."

Grandfather, however, said not a word concerning bad news, until he had had his tea, and smoked a pipe. Then Christine and Jamie went to Christine's room to read, and Ruleson, after tapping the bowl of his pipe on the hob until it was clean, turned to Margot, and said, "Gudewife, I hae news today o' Neil's marriage to Miss Rath."

"Ay, Christine had a letter."

"What do you think o' the circ.u.mstance?"

"I'm wondering, when it was in a foreign country, and outside his ain kirk and creed, whether it was legal and lawful?"

"Neil is lawyer enough to ken he was all right. It is not the law side o' the question I am thinking of. It is the hame side. Not a word to his ain folk, and not one o' us present at the ceremony!"

"Neither were any of the lady's family present. It was, I'm thinking, a marriage after Neil Ruleson's ain heart. Neil first, and last, and altogether."

"How's that? The young man, her brother----"

"Neil has quarreled wi' him. Neil has got the lady and her money, and he is going to begin business in his ain name, exclusive! I consider Neil something o' a scoundrel, and a mean one, at that."

"I was talking to Finlay anent the matter, and he says Neil has done weel to himsel', and he thinks him a gey clever young man."

"And I'd like to have Finlay keep his false tongue out o' my family affairs. I say Neil has done a dirty piece o' business with the Raths, and that will be seen, and heard tell o'."

"As I was saying, Margot, it is the hame side o' the affair that gave me a shock. To think of a' we hae done, of a' his brithers hae done, and of the siller he got frae his sister! To think o' it! Only to think o' it! And not ane o' us bid to his wedding. It fairly staggers me!"

"Nae wonder, gudeman! It's an unspeakable business! I'll not talk o'

it! The lad I nursed on my heart, and he's fairly broken it at last.

He's a sinful creature!"

"We are all o' us sinfu' creatures, Margot!"

"We are not. You are much mista'en, James. There's plenty o' good men and women on every side o' us. Neither you, nor mysel', would do as Neil has done."

"Perhaps not--but we baith hae our ain way o' sinning, Margot, you ken that."

"Speak for yoursel', gudeman!"

"Finlay said----"

"Kay! Kay! I'll no be fashed wi' Finlay's foolishness. I'm awa' to my sleep. My lad, my dear lad, you are heart-weary. I'm sorry for you."

"Wait a moment, Margot. Finlay says he has nae doubt Neil has married ten thousand pounds a year. Think o' that!"

"I'll think of nae such foolishness. And if it was twenty thousand, the lad would need it all--we hae brought him up sae badly!"

Margot disappeared with the words, and the unhappy father as he covered the fire, and pottered about the house, said sorrowfully: