The Project Gutenberg eBook, Foes, by Mary Johnston

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Title: Foes

Author: Mary Johnston

Release Date: August 20, 2005 [eBook #16554]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FOES***

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* * * * * * *

Books by

Mary Johnston

Foes
Sir Mortimer

Harper & Brothers, New York
[Established 1817]

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FOES

A Novel

by

MARY JOHNSTON

Author of
"To Have and to Hold" "Audrey" "Lewis Rand"
"Sir Mortimer" "The Long Roll"

Harper & Brothers Publishers
New York and London

1918

[Illustration]

CHAPTER I

Said Mother Binning: "Whiles I spin and whiles I dream. A bonny day
like this I look."

English Strickland, tutor at Glenfernie House, looked, too, at the
feathery glen, vivid in June sunshine. The ash-tree before Mother
Binning's cot overhung a pool of the little river. Below, the water
brawled and leaped from ledge to ledge, but here at the head of the
glen it ran smooth and still. A rose-bush grew by the door and a hen
and her chicks crossed in the sun. English Strickland, who had been
fishing, sat on the door-stone and talked to Mother Binning, sitting
within with her wheel beside her.

"What is it, Mother, to have the second sight?"

"It's to see behind the here and now. Why're ye asking?"

"I wish I could buy it or slave for it!" said Strickland. "Over and
over again I really need to see behind the here and now!"

"Aye. It's needed mair really than folk think. It's no' to be had by
buying nor slaving. How are the laird and the leddy?"

"Why, well. Tell me," said Strickland, "some of the things you've
seen with second sight."

"It taks inner ears for inner things."

"How do you know I haven't them?"

"Maybe 'tis so. Ye're liked well enough."

Mother Binning looked at the dappling water and the June trees and the
bright blue sky. It was a day to loosen tongue.

"I'll tell yo