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A Daughter of Fife

Page 96

The next day, and every day afterward for a week, she went to Mrs.

Lauder's on some pretext or other. She always saw Maggie. She made little

plans to see her, and she went away from every interview feeling a greater

bondage to her. "I suppose I shall have to take her back to Drumloch with

me!" As her visit to Glasgow drew to its close she came to this

conclusion. She felt that for Allan's sake Maggie had a claim on their

care; either John Campbell or herself ought to find out if she needed help

or friends, and after consideration Mary thought she had better assume the

charge. John Campbell would go straight to her, tell her who he was, and

invite her to Blytheswood Square, and, in fact, take the girl wholly on

trust. Mary also meant to be kind to her, but how hard it is for a woman

to do a kindness as God does it, without saying, "Whose son art thou?"

Just before her return to Drumloch, she said to Mrs. Lauder, "I want some

one to sew in my house. Do you think Maggie would give me a couple of

months. You cannot need her until September."

"I think she will be very willing. I will send her to you."

"Mistress Lauder says you wad like me to go wi' you, Miss Campbell. I'll

be glad to do it. I am just wearying for the country, and I'll do my best

to pleasure you."

"Oh, thank you. It is to sew table damask. I will give you. £5 a month."

"That is gude pay. I'll be gratefu' for it."

"Be ready by nine o'clock to-morrow morning. I will call here for you."

Drumloch was a very ancient place. The older portion was battlemented, and

had been frequently held against powerful enemies; but this part of the

building was merely the nucleus of many more modern additions. It stood in

one of the loveliest locations in Ayrshire, and was in every respect a

home of great splendor and beauty. Maggie had never dreamt of such a

place. The lofty halls and rooms, the wide stairways, the picturesque air

of antiquity, the fine park and gardens, the wealth of fruits and flowers

quite bewildered her. Mary took her first real liking to the girl as she

wandered with her through the pleasant places of Drumloch. Maggie said so

frankly what she liked and what she did not like; and yet she had much

graceful ingenuousness, and extremely delicate perceptions. Often she

showed the blank amazement of a bird that has just left the nest, again

she would utter some keen, deep saying, that made Mary turn to her with

curious wonder. Individualities developed by the Bible have these strange

contradictions, because to great guilelessness they unite an intimate

knowledge of their own hearts.

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