What a horrid conversation this is! It's a great mistake ever to mention love and marriage.

It makes the nicest people silly.

I simply daren't think what Jock would say if he heard us.

He would be what Bella Bathgate calls 'black affrontit.'" "Jean, will it always matter to you more than anything in the world what David and Jock and Mhor think?
Will you never care for anyone as you care for them ?" "But they are my charge," Jean explained.

"They were left to me.