sper anent the ninety pounds he's owing you. He has gotten
mair money than he expectit wi' his stolen wife, and yet he hasna a
thought for the sister wha emptied the small savings o' her lifetime
into his unthankfu' hands. Wae's me, but I'm the sorrowfu' mither this
day."

"For a' that, Mither, dinna mak' yoursel' sick. Luck o' some kind
threw the Rath siller in Neil's way."

"Ay, and the scoundrel has ta'en all he could get o' it."

"That's the way o' the warld, Mother."

"It isn't the way o' honest, honorable men. He ought to hae spoken to
the young man plainly, and he ought not to hae quarreled wi' him
anent their business proposal. I understand that the Rath lad was na
very knowing in the law nor indeed notable for managing his ain
affairs, in any way."

"Weel, Mither, it comes to this--Neil had made up his mind to tak' his
living out o' the Rath purse, and he finally decided that he would
rayther tak' it from the lady, than the gentleman."

Margot laughed at this remark. "You'll not be far wrang in that
observe, Christine," she said, "but the lad may be far out o' his
reckoning, and I'm not carin' if it be so. Nae doubt he thought the
lassie wad be easier controlled than her brither, who, I was led to
believe, had a vera uncertain temper. Roberta may pay a' our wrangs
yet. Little women are gey often parfect Tartars."

"Mither! Mither! You wouldn't wish your ain lad to marry a Tartar o' a
wife, and sae be miserable."

"Wouldn't I? A stranger winning their way wi' the Raths' siller,
wouldna hae troubled me, it would hae been out o' my concern.
Christine, there are two things no good woman likes to do. One is to
bring a fool into the warld, and the other is to bring one o' them
clever fellows, who live on other people's money, instead o' working
their way up, step by step. I'm shamed o' my motherhood this day!"

"Na, na, Mither! Think of Norman, and Allan, and the lave o' the
lads!"

"And forbye, I think shame o' any son o' mine being married in a
foreign country, in France itsel', the French being our natural
enemies."

"Not just now, Mither, not just now."

"Our natural enemies! and a kind o' people, that dinna even speak like
Christians. Ye ken I hae heard their language in this vera room,
Christine, and sorry I am to hae permitted the like."

"There's nae harm in it, Mither."

"It led him astray. If Ruleson's lad hadna kent the French tongue, he
would hae persuaded thae Raths that America was th