"Ye’re richt, David, ye’re richt," he cried fervently. "Man, but it’s bonnie to see ye takin’ the chastenin’ o’ th’ Almichty like ye dae. I was sair feart for ye, when I found oot what was gaein’ to happen. But ye’ve got the richt o’t, David, ye’ve got the richt o’t," the old man went on earnestly; "it’s a sair loss, nae doot—but it canna rob ye o’ what ye love the most. An’ I’ll tell ye anither thing, David," he pursued, his voice the prophet voice, "it canna rob ye o’ the providence o’ God—it canna change the purpose o’ His will for ye," and Geordie’s outstretched hand, not often or lightly so extended, took David’s in its own. "But aboot Harvey’s mither," he suddenly resumed, recalling the thread that had been broken; "she’ll no’ hear what’s happened frae the lips o’ gossip. I’ll tell her mysel’," he affirmed, the resolution forming swiftly; "an’ I’ll dae it when I’m gaein’ hame frae here," proceeding forthwith to button up his coat preparatory to departure.
"I’ll go with you," David said quietly. "There’s no reason why I shouldn’t. I’ve a lot to regret, but nothin’ to be ashamed of—nothin’ to be ashamed of, as I said afore. Where’s your mother, Madeline?—I want to see her afore I go."
"She’s up-stairs," Madeline answered in rather a subdued tone. "I think she’s looking over some things."
David sighed as he rose and turned towards the stair. Reaching the room above, he found his wife gazing upon the rich contents of several receptacles whose treasures were outturned upon the floor. He sat down beside her on the bed, making rather a plaintive attempt to comfort the heart whose sorrow he knew was different from his own.
"I’m going to keep everything of Madeline’s I can," she said, after some preliminary conversation. "Poor child, she was looking forward so to her coming-out party—but I guess that’s all a thing of the past now," she sighed. "And everybody said you were going to be elected the town’s first mayor, too. I was counting so much on that—but of course they won’t do it now. But do you know, David, there’s one bit of consolation left to us—and that’s about Madeline. I think, I think, David, she’ll be provided for, all right, before very long," smiling significantly as she made the prediction.