Maggie caught the child from her offering arms, and held up his little face
for his mother to kiss; and so held him until, for the moment, Isy's
mother-greed was satisfied. Then she sat down with him in her lap, and Isy
stood absorbed in regarding him. At last she said, with a deep sigh--
"Noo I maun awa', and I dinna ken hoo I'm to gang! I hae found him and maun
leave him!--but I houp no for vera lang!--Maybe ye'll keep him yet a
whilie--say for a week mair? He's been sae lang disused til a wan'erin
life, that I doobt it mayna weel agree wi' him; and I maun awa' back to
Deemooth, gien I can get onybody to gie me a lift."
"Na, na; that'll never dee," returned Maggie, with a sob. "My father'll be
glaid eneuch to keep him; only we hae nae richt ower him, and ye maun hae
him again whan ye wull."
"Ye see I hae nae place to tak him til!" pleaded Isy.
"Gien ye dinna want him, gie him to me: I want him!" said Maggie eagerly.
"Want him!" returned Isy, bursting into tears; "I hae lived but upo the
bare houp o' gettin him again! I hae grutten my een sair for the sicht o'
'im! Aften hae I waukent greetin ohn kenned for what!--and noo ye tell me I
dinna want him, 'cause I hae nae spot but my breist to lay his heid upo!
Eh, guid fowk, keep him till I get a place to tak him til, and syne haudna
him a meenute frae me!"
All this time the soutar had been watching the two girls with a divine look
in his black eyes and rugged face; now at last he opened his mouth and
said:
"Them 'at haps the bairn, are aye sib _(related)_ to the mither!--Gang ben
the hoose wi' Maggie, my dear; and lay ye doon on her bed, and she'll lay
the bairnie aside ye, and fess yer brakfast there til ye.
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