"I was only looking at the bright leaves, and the shadows upon
them."

"Ah! I thocht maybe ye had seen something."

"What do you mean, Margaret?"

"I dinna richtly ken mysel'. But I aye expeck to see something in
this fir-wood. I'm here maist mornin's as the day dawns, but I'm
later the day."

"We were later than usual at our work last night. But what kind of
thing do you expect to see?"

"That's jist what I dinna ken. An' I canna min' whan I began to
come here first, luikin' for something. I've tried mony a time, but
I canna min', do what I like."

Margaret had never said so much about herself before. I can account
for it only on the supposition that Hugh had gradually assumed in
her mind a kind of pastoral superiority, which, at a favourable
moment, inclined her to impart her thoughts to him. But he did not
know what to say to this strange fact in her history. She went on,
however, as if, having broken the ice, she must sweep it away as
well.

"The only thing 'at helps me to account for't, is a picter in our
auld Bible, o' an angel sittin' aneth a tree, and haudin' up his
han' as gin he were speakin' to a woman 'at's stan'in' afore him.