160 The Little Minister

The Egyptian shook her head, though of the
poorhouse she had been forced to speak, for
Enoch, having seen the doctor going home
alone, insisted on knowing why.

“ But I knew,” the gypsy said, “that the
Thrums people would be very unhappy until
they discovered where you get the money I am
to give you, and as that is a secret, I hinted to
Enoch that your benefactor is Mr. Dishart.”

“You should not have said that,” interposed
Gavin. “I cannot foster such a deception.”

“ They will foster it without your help,” the
Egyptian said. “ Besides, if you choose, you can
say you get the money from a friend.”

“Ay, you can say that,’ Nanny entreated
with such eagerness that Babbie remarked, a
little bitterly :

“There is no fear of Nanny’s telling any one
that the friend is a gypsy girl.”

“Na, na,” agreed Nanny, again losing Babbie’s
sarcasm. ‘J winna let on. It’s so queer to be
befriended by an Egyptian.”

“It is scarcely respectable,” Babbie said.

“It’s no,” answered simple Nanny.

I suppose Nanny’s unintentional cruelty did
hurt Babbie as much as Gavin thought. She
winced, and her face had two expressions, the one
cynical, the other pained. Her mouth curled as
if to tell the minister that gratitude was nothing
to her, but her eyes had to struggle to keep back
a tear. Gavin was touched, and she saw it, and
for a moment they were two people who under-
stood each other.

“], at least,’ Gavin said, in a low voice, “ will