“Anyone with Elspeth?”

“Some women-folk you dinna like,” replied Aaron.

Tommy rose.  Aaron, with a subdued snarl, got between him and the door.

“I was wondering, merely,” Tommy said, pointing pleasantly to something on the dresser, “why one of them wore the doctor’s hat.”

“I forgot; he’s there, too,” Aaron said promptly; but he looked at Tommy with misgivings.  They sat down to their game.

“You begin,” said Tommy; “you’re black.”  And Aaron opened with the Double Corner; but so preoccupied was he that it became a variation of the Ayrshire lassie, without his knowing.  His suspicions had to find vent in words:  “You dinna speir wha the women-folk are?”

“No.”

“Do you think I’m just pretending they’re there?” Aaron asked apprehensively.

“Not at all,” said Tommy, with much politeness, “but I thought you might be mistaken.”  He could have “blown” Aaron immediately thereafter, but, with great consideration, forbore.  The old man was so troubled that he could not lift a king without its falling in two.  His sleeve got in the way of his fingers.  At last he sat back in his chair.  “Do you ken what is going on, man?” he demanded, “or do you no ken?  I can stand this doubt no longer.”

A less soft-hearted person might have affected not to understand, but that was not Tommy’s way.  “I know, Aaron,” he admitted.  “I have known all the time.”  It was said in the kindliest manner, but its effect on Aaron was not soothing.

“Curse you!” he cried, with extraordinary vehemence, “you have been playing wi’ me a’ the time, ay, and wi’ him and wi’ her!”

What had Aaron been doing with Tommy?  But Tommy did not ask that.

“I am sorry you think so badly of me,” he said quietly.  “I have known all the time, Aaron, but have I interfered?”

“Because you ken she winna take him.  I see it plain enough now.  You ken your power over her; the honest man that thinks he could take her frae you is to you but a divert.”

He took a step nearer Tommy.  “Listen,” he said.  “When you came back he was on the point o’ speiring her; I saw it in his face as she was playing the piano, and she saw it, too, for her hands began to trem’le and the tune wouldna play.  I daursay you think I was keeking, but if I was I stoppit it when the piano stoppit; it was a hard thing to me to do, and it would hae been an easy thing no to do, but I wouldna spy upon Elspeth in her great hour.”

“I like you for that, Aaron,” Tommy said; but Aaron waved his likes aside.

“The reason I stood at the door,” he continued, “was to keep you out o’ that room.  I offered to play you at the dambrod to keep you out.  Ay, you ken that without my telling you, but do you ken what makes me tell you now?  It’s to see whether you’ll go in and stop him; let’s see you do that, and I’ll hae some hope yet.”  He waited eagerly.

“You do puzzle me now,” Tommy said.