“They say her father was hard on her, too; and that was unjust if it was true.  Janet and Thomas felt the disgrace, too.  The people that had been in the habit of going to the Gordon place soon stopped going, for they could see they were not welcome.

“Old James Gordon died that winter.  He never held his head up again after the scandal.  He had been an elder in the church, but he handed in his resignation right away and nobody could persuade him to withdraw it.

“Kilmeny was born in the spring, but nobody ever saw her, except the minister who baptized her.  She was never taken to church or sent to school.  Of course, I suppose there wouldn’t have been any use in her going to school when she couldn’t speak, and it’s likely Margaret taught her all she could be taught herself.  But it was dreadful that she was never taken to church, or let go among the children and young folks.  And it was a real shame that nothing was ever done to find out why she couldn’t talk, or if she could be cured.

“Margaret Gordon died three years ago, and everybody in Lindsay went to the funeral.  But they didn’t see her.  The coffin lid was screwed down.  And they didn’t see Kilmeny either.  I would have loved to see her for Margaret’s sake, but I didn’t want to see poor Margaret.  I had never seen her since the night she was a bride, for I had left Lindsay on a visit just after that, and what I came home the scandal had just broken out.  I remembered Margaret in all her pride and beauty, and I couldn’t have borne to look at her dead face and see the awful changes I knew must be there.

“It was thought perhaps Janet and Thomas would take Kilmeny out after her mother was gone, but they never did, so I suppose they must have agreed with Margaret about the way she had been brought up.  I’ve often felt sorry for the poor girl, and I don’t think her people did right by her, even if she was mysteriously afflicted.  She must have had a very sad, lonely life.

“That is the story, Master, and I’ve been a long time telling it, as I dare say you think.  But the past just seemed to be living again for me as I talked.  If you don’t want to be pestered with questions about Kilmeny Gordon, Master, you’d better not let on you’ve seen her.”

Eric was not likely to.  He had heard all he wanted to know and more.

“So this girl is at to core of a tragedy,” he reflected, as he went to his room.  “And she is dumb!  The pity of it!  Kilmeny!  The name suits her.  She is as lovely and innocent as the heroine of the old ballad.  ‘And oh, Kilmeny was fair to see.’  But the next line is certainly not so appropriate, for her eyes were anything but ’still and steadfast’—­after she had seen me, at all events.”

He tried to put her out of his thoughts, but he could not.  The memory of her beautiful face drew him with a power he could not resist.  The next evening he went again to the orchard.