Indeed Mrs Forbes did not like the girl's being so much with her son; but she comforted herself with the probability that by and by Alec would go to college, and forget her.

Meantime, she was very kind to Annie, and took her home herself, in order to excuse her absence, the blame of which she laid entirely on Alec, not knowing that thereby she greatly aggravated any offence of which Annie might have been guilty.

Mrs Bruce solemnly declared her conviction that a judgment had fallen upon her for Willie Macwha's treatment of her baby.
"Gin I hadna jist gotten a glimp o' him in time, he wad hae drooned the bonny infant afore my verra een.

It's weel waured on them!" It did not occur to her that a wet skin was so very moderate a punishment for child-murder, that possibly there had been no connection between them.
This first voyage of the _Bonnie Annie_ may seem a bad beginning; but I am not sure that most good ends have not had such a bad beginning.
Perhaps the world itself may be received as a case in point.

Alec and Curly went about for a few days with a rather subdued expression.