The Hill Before Darkness Fell 293

from the man for whom her soul longed. She
was sacrificing herself for him.

“‘ Never,” I answered, notwithstanding my pity
of the brave girl, and then, while I was shaking
lest he should go in to visit Nanny, I heard the
echo of the Auld Licht bell.

“‘ That calls me to the meeting for rain,” Gavin
said, bidding me good night. I had acted for
Margaret, and yet I had hardly the effrontery
to take his hand. I suppose he saw sympathy in
my face, for suddenly the cry broke from him:

“If I could only know that nothing evil had
befallen her!”

Babbie. heard him and could not restrain a
heart-breaking sob.

“What was that?” he said, starting.

A moment I waited, to let her show herself if
she chose. But the mud house was silent again.
“‘ It was some boy in the wood,” I answered.

“Good-bye,” he said, trying to smile.

Had I let him go, here would have been the
end of his love story, but that piteous smile
unmanned me, and I could not keep the words
back.

“ She is in Nanny’s house,” I cried.

In another moment these two were together
for weal or woe, and I had set off dizzily for the
schoolhouse, feeling now that I had been false to
Margaret, and again exulting in what I had done.
By and by the bell stopped, and Gavin and
Babbie regarded it as little as I heeded the burns
now crossing the glen road noisily at places that
had been dry two hours before.