Katie had retired to the bedroom and shut the door.
The Sergeant said, "I’ll keep Mary. Gang hame, Mrs. Craigie. I’ll answer to the Session for you. Nae mair scauldin’ here." And he pressed forward with outstretched arms, gently compelling Mrs. Craigie to retreat towards the door, until she finally vanished with exclamations, and protestations, and vows of vengeance, which need not be here repeated.
"Sirs, me!" ejaculated Katie, as she came out of her retreat; "that’s awfu’!"
"Dinna be frichtened, my wee woman," said the Sergeant, as he led Mary to the fireside. "Warm yer bit feet, and get yer supper, and I’ll gie ye a lesson afore ye gang to yer bed."
Mary blew her nose, dried her eyes, and did as she was bid.
The Sergeant motioned to his wife to come to the bedroom. He shut the door, and said, "I’ll never pairt wi’ Mary, come what may. My heart tells me this. Get Charlie’s bed ready for her; she’ll lie there, and be our bairn. God has sent her."
"I was thinking that mysel’," said Katie; "I aye liked the wee thing, and sae did Charlie."
The Sergeant’s lesson was a very simple one, as, indeed, most of his were. He took the child on his knee, and putting on his spectacles, made her read one or two simple verses of Scripture. This night he selected, from some inner connexion, the verse from the Sermon on the Mount:--"Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?"
And he said, "Mary, dear, did you come and hear my bird whistle?"
"Oo, ay," replied Mary. "It was real bonnie; and I thocht a’ the time o’ wee Charlie."
"But why did ye run awa’ and mak’ a noise on the Sabbath morning? Ye shouldna hae been sporting on the Lord’s day."
"I was frichtened for the minister," replied Mary.
"Why were ye frichtened for the good man?"
"I dinna ken," said Mary; "but the boys ran, and I ran, and Archy Walker fell ower me and hurled me. I wasna meaning ony ill;" and Mary threatened to give way again.
"Whisht, Mary," said the Sergeant. "I wasna blaming you; but ye ken I didna hang Charlie’s bird oot to harm you, or mak’ sport, but only because he wasna weel."
"What was wrang wi’ him?" asked Mary. "There’s an awfu’ heap o’ measles gaun aboot."