ad never been born!

"The men folk saw that Aaron had shamed them, and they werena quite so
set agin me as the women, wha had guessed the truth, though they couldna
be sure o't. Sair I pitied mysel', and sair I grat, but only when none
was looking. The mair they miscalled me the higher I held my head, and I
hung on your father's arm as if I adored him, and I boasted about his
office and his clerk in London till they believed what I didna believe a
word o' myself.

"But though I put sic a brave face on't, I was near demented in case he
shouldna marry me, and he kent that and jokit me about it. Dinna think I
was fond o' him; I hated him now. And dinna think his masterfulness had
any more power ower me; his power was broken forever when I woke up that
weary morning. But that was ower late, and to wait on by mysel' in
Thrums for what might happen, and me a single woman--I daredna! So I
flattered at him, and flattered at him, till I got the fool side o' him,
and he married me.

"My granny let the marriage take place in her house, and he sent in so
muckle meat and drink that some folk was willing to come. One came that
wasna wanted. In the middle o' the marriage Aaron Latta, wha had refused
to speak to anybody since that night, walked in wearing his blacks, wi'
crape on them, as if it was a funeral, and all he said was that he had
come to see Jean Myles coffined. He went away quietly as soon as we was
married, but the crowd outside had fathomed his meaning, and abune the
minister's words I could hear them crying, 'Ay, it's mair like a burial
than a marriage!'

"My heart was near breaking wi' woe, but, oh, I was awid they shouldna
ken it, and the bravest thing I ever did was to sit through the supper
that night, making muckle o' your father, looking fond-like at him,
laughing at his coarse jokes, and secretly hating him down to my very
marrow a' the time. The crowd got word o' the ongoings, and they took a
cruel revenge. A carriage had been ordered for nine o'clock to take us
to Tilliedrum, where we should get the train to London, and when we
heard it, as we thought, drive up to the door, out we went, me on your
father's arm laughing, but wi' my teeth set. But Aaron's words had put
an idea into their heads, though he didna intend it, and they had got
out the hearse. It was the hearse they had brought to the door instead
of a carriage.

"We got awa' in a carriage in the tail-end, and the stanes hitting it was
all the good