He had sacrificed a great deal toward this end all his own life, nor
were his sacrifices complete with the resignation of his only child to
the same purpose. To a man of more than sixty years of age it is a great
trial to have an unusual and unhappy atmosphere in his home; and though
Mrs. Lockerby was now tearful and patient under her disappointment,
everyone knows that tears and patience may be a miserable kind of
comfort. Then, though Janet had as yet preserved a dour and angry
silence, he knew that sooner or later she would begin a guerilla warfare
of sharp words, which he feared he would have mainly to bear, for Janet,
though his housekeeper, was also "a far-awa cousin," had been forty
years in his house, and was not accustomed to withhold her opinions on
any subject.

Fortunately for Andrew Lockerby, Janet finally selected Mary Moir as the
Eve specially to blame in this transgression. "A proud up-head lassie,"
she asserted, "that cam o' a family wha would sell their share o' the
sunshine for pounds sterling!"

From such texts as this the two women in the Lockerby house preached
little daily sermons to each other, until comfort grew out of the very
stem of their sorrow, and they began to congratulate each other that
"puir Davie was at ony rate outside the glamour o' Mary Moir's
temptations."

"For she just bewitched the laddie," said Janet, angrily; and,
doubtless, if the old laws regarding witches had been in Janet's
administration it would have gone hardly with pretty Mary Moir.


PART II.