“Well,” he said, turning upon her snappishly, “what may ye be wanting now?”
“I was wanting--just to say something to ye, Drumcarro, if it’s convenient to ye,” Marg’ret said.
“What do ye want? That’s your way of asking, as I know well. What ails ye now, and what long story have ye to tell? The sooner it’s begun the sooner it will be ended,” he said.
“There is truth in that,” replied Marg’ret sedately; “and I canna say I am confident ye will be pleased with what I am going to say. For to meddle between a father and his bairns is no a pleasant office, and to one that is but a servant in the house.”
“And who may this be,” said Mr. Douglas grimly, “that is coming to interfere between a father and his bairns,--meaning me and my family, as I’m at liberty to judge?”
Marg’ret looked her master in the face, and made him a slight but serious curtsey. “’Deed, sir, it’s just me,” she said.
“You!” said the laird with all the force of angry indignation which he could throw into his voice. He roused himself to the fray, pushing up his spectacles upon his forehead. “You’re a bonny one,” he said, “to burst into a gentleman’s private room on whatever errand--let alone meddling in what’s none of your concerns.”
“If ye think sae, sir,” said Marg’ret, “that’s just anither point we dinna agree about; for if there’s a mair proper person to speak to ye about your bairns than the person that has brought them up, and carried them in her arms, and made their parritch and mended their clo’es all their life, I’m no acquaint with her. Eh, me, what am I saying? There is anither that has a better right--and that’s their mother. But she’s your wife, puir lamb, and ye ken weel that ye’ve sae dauntened her, and sae bowed her down, that if ye were to take a’ their lives she would never get out a word.”
“Did she send ye here to tell me so?” cried Drumcarro.
“But me,” said Marg’ret, unheeding the question, “I’m no to be dauntened neither by words nor looks. I’m nae man’s wife, the Lord be thankit.”
“Ye may well say that,” said the laird, seizing an ever-ready weapon, “for it’s well known ye never could get a man to look the way ye were on.”
Marg’ret paused for a moment and contemplated him, half moved by the jibe, but with a slight wave of her hand put the temptation away. “I’m no to be put off by ony remarks ye can make, sir,” she said; “maybe ye think ye ken my affairs better than I do, for well I wot I ken yours better than you. You’re no an ill father to your lads. I would never say sae, for it wouldna be true; ye do your best for them and grudge naething. But the lassies are just as precious a gift from their Maker as their brothers, and what’s ever done for them? They’re just as neglecktit as the colley dogues: na, far mair, for the colleys have a fine training to make them fit for their work--whereas our young ladies, the Lord bless them--”