She sobbed and held on to the window ledge, her eyes
fixed greedily upon the open chink in the shutter, listening to, and
looking at her parents in their misery, as they sat and talked so kindly
and anxiously about her--talked so that every word was a stab at her
heart; for she had never heard them open their hearts like this before.
"Ay, wife," he said after a time, "it was a sair blow to me. I could hae
fain dee'd at the time; I was fair heartbroken. It's a gey queer world
that brings the keenest pangs frae them that yin likes best. I could hae
dee'd gladly to hae saved that bairn frae the slightest hurt!"
"Matthew," said the mother, speaking with all her soul in her eyes, as
she looked at him, "if by ony chance it should turn oot that Mysie gaed
wrang an' fell into disgrace, wad ye tak' her back, if she should come
hame again?" and there was a world of pleading in the mother's voice as
she spoke.
"Tak' her back! Oh, God, I'd dae onything to hae her here at this
meenit, nae matter though it should be proved that she was guilty o' the
warst sin under the sun. Tak' her back! Oh, wife! my heart is breakin'
for her!" and he lifted his thin worn hand to his eyes and sobbed in his
grief.
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