and he could say no more. But oh! the face of his sister! May I never
see the like look on face of man or woman again.

"`Willie,' she said, `have you made what I have done vain? Why are you
here?'

"`What have you done, Allie? And why shouldna I be here? Stone is well
again, even if it had been me that struck the blow--which it was not--
though I might have had some risk of no' being just able to prove it.
Allie, what have you done?'

"But she only laid her white face on his breast without a word.

"`Allie,' gasped her brother, as he caught sight of Brownrig, `you
havena given yourself to yon man--yon deevil, I should better say? They
told me over yonder that it was to be, but I said you scorned him, and
would stand fast.'

"`Oh! Willie! Willie!' she cried, `I scorned him, but for your sake I
couldna stand fast.'

"Then Brownrig took up the word. `Young man, if you ken what is good
for your ain safety, you'll disappear again, and keep out o' harm's way.
But that may be as pleases you. Only mind, you'll have nothing to say
to my wife.'

"`Your wife! You black-hearted liar and villain!' and many a worse word
besides did the angry lad give him, and when Brownrig lifted his whip
and made as if he meant to strike him, Willie turned from his sister and
flew at him like a madman, and--though I maybe shouldna say it--Brownrig
got his deserts for once, and he will carry the marks the lad left on
him that day, to his grave. He was sore hurt. They put him into the
gig in which he had brought Allison down to the manse, and carried him
home, and the brother and sister walked together to their father's
house.

"Their mother was nearer her end than had been supposed, for she died
that night, and before she was laid in her grave there came an officer
with a warrant to arrest poor Willie on a charge of having done bodily
harm to one of Blackwell's keepers months before. Two of his cousins
stood surety for him till after his mother's burial. No evidence could
be got against him in the matter and he was allowed to go free. And
then like a daft man, Brownrig had him taken up again on a charge of
assault with intent to kill. It was a mad thing for him to do, if he
ever hoped to win the good-will of Allison, but it was said to me by one
who knew him well, that he was afraid of the lad, and that he had good
reason to fear, also, that as long as Allison was under the influence of
her brother, she would never come h