You'll hear this word, and then ye may sleep awa' what little sense
you hae left. I'll go the morn into the town, and see Lawyer Forbes,
and you'll mebbe believe him when he serves Christine wi' a notice to
quit, and tak' her belongings--poems and a'--wi' her."

"If such a thing could happen, I should at once hae it deeded back to
her, as a gift. Listen, woman, to my last word on this matter--if you
could by any means get possession o' the house, ye would hae it from
foundation to roof-bigging, all to yoursel'! Neither I, nor any o' my
children, would cross its doorstane. That's a fact, as sure as
death!"

"You couldna tak' my childer from me!"

"I could, and I would. Tak' your will, you foolish woman! I shall bide
by every word I hae said."

"But Norman----"

"Let go! You hae never yet seen me in a blaze! Dinna try it tonight!
If I lift my hand it will be your ain fault. Get out o' my sight, and
hearing! Quick, woman! Quick! I'm no' able to stand you langer--O God!
O God, help me!"

Jessy, cowed and shocked at this unexpected passion of a patient man,
disappeared; but the next moment she was heard in the children's room,
crying and scolding, and the sharp slapping of her hand followed.
Norman jumped to his feet, his heart throbbed and burned, he clenched
his hands, and took a step forward. The next moment he had sat down,
his eyes were closed, his hands were clasped, he had hid himself in
that secret sanctuary which his hard life and early disappointments
had revealed to him, when he was only a lad of seventeen. Jessy's
railing, the children's crying, his own angry voice, he heard them
not! He was hiding in His pavilion, in the secret of His tabernacle.
He had cast his burden upon the Lord. He was in perfect peace.

Christine spent a restless, unhappy night. Norman had put before her a
future that frightened her. She had seen the misery made by little
wicked innuendoes half a dozen words long. Truly words could not kill
her, but they could make life bitter and friendless, and there were
women in the village she could neither conciliate, nor cope with, for
the weapons they used were not in her armory. "Mither had a sharp
tongue," she said softly, "but even she couldna cope wi' a lying
tongue. Weel, there's words anent it, in the Good Book, and I'll seek
them out, and they'll be helping me."

After all, the central trouble of her heart was neither her house, nor
her neighbors, nor even her lover. Someway or oth