“They worry you, these folk; they come to you with all their clashes. What was it this time? I saw they were stopped by me. It was not that old business,” said Susie, with a blush, “about Johnny Maitland? I thought that was all past and gone.”
“It was not that--it was rather this lady, this English person that stopped all their mouths before you came in. She is a very wyss-like woman, though her manners are strange to me. As I said to your father, she’s well put-on and well looking. Do you like her, Susie?”
“Me! I’ve no occasion not to like her, Mrs Ogilvy.”
“I was not asking that. Do you like her, Susie?”
Upon which Susie began to laugh. “What can I say?--
‘I dinna like ye, Doctor Fell, The reason why I canna tell.’
I’ve no occasion not to like her. She is always very kind, a little too kind, to me--I am not fond of all that kissing--but it is perhaps just her way. I am not very fond of her, to tell the truth.”
“Nor am I, Susie; but she is maybe well enough if we were not prejudiced.”
“Oh yes, she is well enough,--she is more than that; and papa thinks there is nobody like her,” she added, with a laugh.
“Ah! your papa has an opinion on the subject?”
“And why not? He has a great eye for the ladies. Did you not know that? I think I like her the less because he makes so much of her. There was that party she had for the marriage, I never hear the end of it. It was all so nice, and so little trouble, and no fuss, and no expense, and so forth. How can he tell it was no expense?--all the things were sent out from Edinburgh!” said Susie, offended in her pride of housekeeping; “and as for the sandwiches and things, I have seen the very same in Edinburgh parties, and not so very new either. I could make them perfectly myself!”
“My dear, that is the way of men,” said Mrs Ogilvy; “a bit of bread-and-butter in a strange place they will take for a ferlie: whereas it’s only a piece for the bairns at home.”
“Oh, papa is not so bad as that,” said Susie; “and I’m very silly to mind. Now, just you lean back in your big chair and be quiet a little; and I will go ben to Janet and bring you a little new-made tea.”
“I like to see you do it, Susie. I like to take it from your hand. It is not for the tea----”