“But though I put sic a brave face on’t, I was near demented in case he shouldna marry me, and he kent that and jokit me about it.  Dinna think I was fond o’ him; I hated him now.  And dinna think his masterfulness had any more power ower me; his power was broken forever when I woke up that weary morning.  But that was ower late, and to wait on by mysel’ in Thrums for what might happen, and me a single woman—­I daredna!  So I flattered at him, and flattered at him, till I got the fool side o’ him, and he married me.

“My granny let the marriage take place in her house, and he sent in so muckle meat and drink that some folk was willing to come.  One came that wasna wanted.  In the middle o’ the marriage Aaron Latta, wha had refused to speak to anybody since that night, walked in wearing his blacks, wi’ crape on them, as if it was a funeral, and all he said was that he had come to see Jean Myles coffined.  He went away quietly as soon as we was married, but the crowd outside had fathomed his meaning, and abune the minister’s words I could hear them crying, ’Ay, it’s mair like a burial than a marriage!’

“My heart was near breaking wi’ woe, but, oh, I was awid they shouldna ken it, and the bravest thing I ever did was to sit through the supper that night, making muckle o’ your father, looking fond-like at him, laughing at his coarse jokes, and secretly hating him down to my very marrow a’ the time.  The crowd got word o’ the ongoings, and they took a cruel revenge.  A carriage had been ordered for nine o’clock to take us to Tilliedrum, where we should get the train to London, and when we heard it, as we thought, drive up to the door, out we went, me on your father’s arm laughing, but wi’ my teeth set.  But Aaron’s words had put an idea into their heads, though he didna intend it, and they had got out the hearse.  It was the hearse they had brought to the door instead of a carriage.

“We got awa’ in a carriage in the tail-end, and the stanes hitting it was all the good luck flung after me.  It had just one horse, and I mind how I cried to Esther Auld, wha had been the first to throw, that when I came back it would be in a carriage and pair.

“Ay, I had pride!  In the carriage your father telled me as a joke that he had got away without paying the supper, and that about all the money he had now, forby what was to pay our tickets to London, was the half-sovereign on his watch-chain.  But I was determined to have Thrums think I had married grand, and as I had three pound six on me, the savings o’ all my days, I gave two pound of it to Malcolm Crabb, the driver, unbeknown to your father, but pretending it was frae him, and telled him to pay for the supper and the carriage with it.  He said it was far ower muckle, but I just laughed, and said wealthy gentlemen like Mr. Sandys couldna be bothered to take back change, so Malcolm could keep what was ower.  Malcolm was the man Esther Auld had just married, and I counted on this maddening her and on Malcolm’s spreading the story through the town.  Laddie, I’ve kent since syne what it is to be without bite or sup, but I’ve never grudged that siller.”