A Daughter of Fife | Page 6

her door she was at her baking board, and
patting the cakes so hard, that she did not hear him, until he said,
"Good afternoon, Miss Promoter."
Then she turned sharply around, and answered, "Maggie Promoter, if it
please you, sir."
"Very well," he said gravely, "good afternoon, Maggie. Is your brother
at home?"
"No, sir; he's awa' to Kinkell. Your room is ready for you, sir." As she
spoke she was rubbing the meal from her hands, and he stood watching
her with delight. He had wondered if her beauty would bear the test of
daylight, or if it needed the broad shadows, and the dull glow of the
burning turf and the oil cruisie. But she stood directly in the band of
sunshine, and was only the more brilliantly fair for it. He was not in
love with her, he was sure of that, but he was interested by a life so
vivid, so full of splendid color, grace, and vitality.
With a little pride she opened the door of his room, and stirred up the
glowing peats, and put the big rush chair before them,--"And you can
just call me, sir, when you want aught," she said, "I'll go ben noo, and

finish my cake baking."
"Maggie, this room is exactly what I wanted; so clean and quiet! I'm
much obliged to you for allowing me to use it." "You pay siller, sir, and
there's nae call to say thank you!" With the words she closed the door,
and was gone. And somehow, the tone of reserve and the positive click
of the latch made him feel that there would be limits he could not pass.
In a couple of hours he heard the little stir of David's return, and the
preparation for tea. Maggie brought his table to the fireside and covered
it with a square of linen, and set upon it his cup and plate. He had a
book in his hand and he pretended to be absorbed in it; but he did not
lose a movement that she made.
"Your tea is a' ready, sir."
He lifted his eyes then, and again her clear candid gaze was caught by
his own. Both were this time distinctly conscious of the meeting, and
both were for the moment embarrassed.
"It looks good, Maggie, and I am hungry. Is your brother back?"
"David is hame, sir. It was a hard walk he had. He's tired, I'm thinking."
The last words were said more to herself than to her lodger. She was
somewhat troubled by Davie's face and manner. He had scarcely
spoken to her since his return, but had sat thinking with his head in his
hands. She longed to know what Dr. Balmuto had said to him, but she
knew David Would resent questioning, and likely punish her curiosity
by restraining confidence with her for a day or two. So she spoke only
of the storm, and of the things which had come into her life or
knowledge during his absence.
"Kirsty Wilson has got a sweetheart, David, and her no sixteen yet."
"Kirsty aye thocht a lad was parfect salvation. You shallna be mair than
civil to her. She has heard tell o' the man staying wi' us. It wad be that
brought her here nae doot."

"She was not here at a'. Maggie Johnson telled me. Maggie cam' to
borrow a cup o' sugar. She said Cupar's boat tried to win out o' harbor
after the storm. It could not manage though."
"It was wrang to try it. Folks shouldna tempt Providence."
"The cakes baked weel to-day."
"Ay, they are gude eating."
Then she could think of nothing more to say, and she washed the cups,
and watched the dark, sad man bending over the fire. A vulgar woman,
a selfish woman, would have interrupted that solemn session at her
hearth. She would have turned Inquisitor, and tortured him with
questions. "What's the matter?" "Is there anything wrong?" "Are you
sick?" etc., etc. But when Maggie saw that her brother was not inclined
to talk to her, she left him alone to follow out the drift of his own
thoughts. He seemed unconscious of her presence, and when her active
house duties were over, she quietly pulled her big wheel forward, and
began to spin.
The turfs burned red, the cruisie burned low, the wheel "hummed"
monotonously, and Maggie stepped lightly to-and-fro before it. In an
hour the silence became oppressive, she was sleepy, she wished Davie
would speak to her. She laid her fingers on the broad wooden band and
was just going to move, when the inner door was opened, and the
stranger stood at it. His pause was but a momentary one, but the room
was all picture to him, especially the tall