A Knight of the Nets | Page 7

on the lonely rocks, with the moonlit sea at their feet, they had
confessed to each other how sweet it was to love. And the plans
growing out of this confession, though humble enough, were full of
strange hope and happy dreaming to Christina. For Jamie had begged
her to become his wife as soon as he got his promised berth on the
great Scotch line, and this event would compel her to leave Pittendurie
and make her home in Glasgow,--two facts, simply stupendous to the
fisher-girl, who had never been twenty miles from her home, and to
whom all life outside the elementary customs of Pittendurie was
wonderful and a little frightsome.
But she put her hand in Jamie's hand, and felt his love sufficient for
whatever love might bring or demand. Any spot on earth would be
heaven to her with him, and for him; and she told him so, and was
answered as women love to be answered, with a kiss that was the
sweetness and confidence of all vows and promises. Among these
simple, straight-forward people, there are no secrecies in love affairs;
and the first thing Jamie did was to return to the cottage with Christina

to make known the engagement they had entered into.
They met Andrew on the sands. He had been disappointed. Sophy had
gone out with a friend, and her aunt had seemed annoyed and had not
asked him to wait. He was counting up in his mind how often this thing
had happened lately, and was conscious of an unhappy sense of doubt
and unkindness which was entirely new to him. But when Christina
stepped to his side, and Jamie said frankly, "Andrew, your dear sweet
sister loves me, and has promised to be my wife, and I hope you will
give us the love and favour we are seeking," Andrew looked tenderly
into his sister's face, and their smiles met and seemed to kiss each other.
And he took her hand between his own hands, and then put it into
Jamie's.
"You shall be a brother to me, Jamie," he said; "and we will stand
together always, for the sake of our bonnie Christina." And Jamie could
not speak for happiness; but the three went forward with shining eyes
and linked hands, and Andrew forgot his own fret and disappointment,
in the joy of his sister's betrothal.
Janet came home as they sat in the moonlight outside the cottage.
"Come into the house," she cried, with a pretense of anger. "It is high
time for folk who have honest work for the morn to be sleeping. What
hour will you get to the week's work, I wonder, Christina? If I leave the
fireside for a minute or two, everything stops but daffing till I get back
again. What for are you sitting so late?"
"There is a good reason, Mother!" said Andrew, as he rose and with
Jamie and Christina went into the cottage. "Here is our Christina been
trysting herself to Jamie, and I have been giving them some good
advice."
"Good advice!" laughed Janet. "Between you and Jamie Logan, it is the
blind leading the blind, and nothing better. One would think there was
no other duty in life than trysting and marrying. I have just heard tell of
Flora Thompson and George Buchan, and now it is Christina Binnie
and Jamie Logan. The world is given up, I think, to this weary lad and
lass business."

But Janet's words belied her voice and her benign face. She was really
one of those delightful women who are "easily persuaded," and who
readily accept whatever is, as right. For she had naturally one of the
healthiest of human souls; besides which, years had brought her that
tender sagacity and gentleness, which does not often come until the
head is gray and the brow furrowed. So, though her words were fretful,
they were negatived by her beaming smile, and by the motherly fashion
in which she drew Christina to her side and held out her hand to Jamie.
"You are a pair of foolish bairns," she said; "and you little know what
will betide you both."
"Nothing but love and happiness, Mother," answered Jamie.
"Well, well! look for good, and have good. I will not be one to ask after
evil for you. But mind one thing, Jamie, you are marrying a woman,
and not an angel. And, Christina, if you trust to any man, don't expect
over much of him; the very best of them will stumble once in a while."
Then she drew forward the table, and put on the kettle and brewed
some toddy, and set it out with toasted cake and cheese, and so drank,
with cheerful moderation, to the health and happiness of the
newly-promised lovers.