But Mairi was not confused. Probably she had been fancying that Mr.
Lavender was down at the shore, or had gone out fishing, or something
of that sort, and would return soon enough. It was Sheila, not he,
whom she was concerned about. Indeed, Mairi had caught up a little of
that jealousy of Lavender which was rife among the Borva folks. They
would speak no ill of Mr. Lavender. The young gentleman whom Miss
Sheila had chosen had by that very fact a claim upon their respect.
Mr. Mackenzie's son-in-law was a person of importance. And yet in
their secret hearts they bore a grudge against him. What right had
he to come away up to the North and carry off the very pride of the
island? Were English girls not good enough for him, that he must needs
come up and take away Sheila Mackenzie, and keep her there in the
South so that her friends and acquaintances saw no more of her? Before
the marriage Mairi had a great liking and admiration for Mr. Lavender.
She was so pleased to see Miss Sheila pleased that she approved of
the young man, and thanked him in her heart for making her cousin and
mistress so obviously happy. Perhaps, indeed, Mairi managed to fall
in love with him a little bit herself, merely by force of example and
through sympathy with Sheila; and she was rapidly forming very good
opinions of the English race and their ways and their looks. But
when Lavender took away Sheila from Borva a change came over Mairi's
sentiments. She gradually fell in with the current opinions of the
island--that it was a great pity Sheila had not married young Mr.
Maclntyre of Sutherland, or some one who would have allowed her to
remain among her own people. Mairi began to think that the English,
though they were handsome and good-natured and free with their money,
were on the whole a selfish race, inconsiderate and forgetful of
promises. She began to dislike the English, and wished they would stay
in their own country, and not interfere with other people.