"You are no--you canna--" he began, and then dodged the telling.

"We--we may get a lift in a cart," he said weakly.
"And I'll sit aside you in the fields, and make chains o' the gowans, will I no?
Speak, Tommy!" "Ay--ay, will you," he groaned.
"And we'll have a wee, wee room to oursels, and--" He broke down, "Oh, Elspeth," he cried, "it was ill-done of me no to stick to my books, and get a bursary, and it was waur o' me to bother about that word.

I'm a scoundrel, I am, I'm a black, I'm a--" But she put her hand on his mouth, saying, "I'm fonder o' you than ever, Tommy, and I'll like the Dubb o' Prosen fine, and what does it matter where we are when we're thegither ?" which was poor comfort for him, but still he could not tell her the truth, and so in the end Aaron had to tell her.

It struck her down, and the doctor had to be called in during the night to stop her hysterics.

When at last she fell asleep Tommy's arm was beneath her, and by and by it was in agony, but he set his teeth and kept it there rather than risk waking her.
When Tommy was out of the way, Aaron did his clumsy best to soothe her, sometimes half shamefacedly pressing her cheek to his, and she did not repel him, but there was no response.