416 The Little Minister

Gavin’s safety, she kept the new anxiety from his
mother. Deceived by another story of Jean’s,
Margaret was the one happy person in the house.

“ T believe you had only a lover’s quarrel with
Lord Rintoul last night,’ she said to Babbie in
the afternoon. “Ah, you see I can guess what
is taking you to the window so often. You must
not think him long in coming for you. I can
assure you that the rain which keeps my son
from me must be sufficiently severe to separate
even true lovers. Take an old woman’s example,
Babbie. If I thought the minister’s absence
alarming, I should be in anguish; but as it is,
my mind is so much at ease that, see, I can
thread my needle.”

It was in less than an hour after Margaret
spoke thus tranquilly to Babbie that the pre-
centor got into the manse.