David Fleming's Forgiveness Part 21

"It will all work for good, Katie, you may be sure of that," said her brother huskily, as they went up the brae together.

"Yes, to those who love Him. So the promise is good for grannie and him--and, oh, Davie! if we were only sure for us all."

There were smiles on Katie's face when she said this, and tears too, and it was doubtful which of them would have way, till her grandfather's voice settled it. She had only smiles for him, as he came out at the door with his staff in his hand, and looking as if he needed it to lean upon, but looking, at the same time, brighter and more like himself than Katie had seen him for a while. She turned and went with him toward the pasture-bars, his favourite walk. They went slowly on together, speaking few words, content to be silent in each other's company.

It was a bonny day, the old man said, and the gra.s.s was fine and green; and Katie bade him look at the barley turning yellow already, and at the purple shadows on the great hay-field as the wind pa.s.sed over it.

"I like to watch them," said Katie, "and, grandfather, doesna it mind you of the waves of the sea?"

Her grandfather shook his head.

"It's a bonny sight, but it is no like the waves of the sea."

And thus a word dropped here and there till they came to the pasture-bars. The sheep and the young lambs crowded together close to the bars over which they leaned, expecting the usual taste of salt from their hands, and old Kelso and her colt neighed their welcome. It was a peaceful, pleasant scene, and would do her grandfather good, Katie said to herself joyfully. But in a minute her heart gave a sudden throb, as with a look at her face, from which neither the water of the burn, nor the mild sweet air had quite effaced the traces of tears, he said gravely:

"And what was it that Davie was saying to you as you came up the brae?"

Katie gave a quick look into his face, and her eyes fell, and she could not utter a word.

"Was he vexing you with his nonsense? Was he scolding you, my la.s.sie?"

"Davie! Oh, grandfather! I would never heed Davie. And besides, it is I who scolded Davie," added she with a laugh, much relieved.

"I dare say he's no' out of the need of it whiles, though he maybe needs it less than he once did."

"Yes, indeed! grandfather. Is he not steady now? As good as gold?"

"As gold? Well, gold is good in its place, if it could be kept there.

And what were you two discoursing about, down yonder by the burn?"

It never came into Katie's mind that she could answer him otherwise than indirectly.

"We were speaking--about you, grandfather, and about--Jacob Holt."

"Well?"

"And Davie was saying how impossible it was that anything that that man can do could hurt you, grandfather."

"He thinks he kens, does he?"

"But he says everybody kens that, though Jacob is a greedy man, he is but a poor creature, and wouldna dare to harm you, because all Gershom would cry out against him if he were to do his will."

"I'm no' sure of that. But, indeed, I think he has done his worst on me already." And the look, the dark look, that always brought the shadow to grannie's eyes came over his face as he said it. Katie's heart beat hard, but her courage rose to the occasion, and she said softly and reverently:

"It was G.o.d's will, grandfather, and surely Jacob must be sorry now."

The old man uttered a sound between a groan and a cry.

"Was it G.o.d's will? It was a great sin, and G.o.d has never punished him for it. La.s.sie, you little ken."

"No, grandfather, but G.o.d kens. And it was His will," repeated Katie, not knowing what to say.

"G.o.d's will! Ay, since He permitted it; we can say nothing else. But that it should be G.o.d's will that yon man should have a name and a place here--and it may be, hereafter--pa.s.ses me."

Except to his wife, Mr Fleming had never spoken such words before, and the pain and anger on his face it was sorrowful to see.

"Grandfather, don't you mind how, at the very last, our Lord said, 'Father, forgive them'?"

He had been sitting, with his face averted from her, but he turned now with a strange, dazed look in his eyes:

"Ay. And He said, 'Love your enemies,' and 'Forgive and ye shall be forgiven.' And Katie, my bonny woman, I canna do it."

Katie slid down to the ground beside him, and laid her wet face on his knee without a word. What was there to be said, only "G.o.d comfort him, G.o.d comfort him?" and she said it many times in the silence that came next.

By and by the clouds drifted toward the west and hid the sun, and it seemed to grow dreary and chill around them.

"We'll go to the house to your grandmother," said he at last in a voice that to Katie seemed hard and strange.

Was he angry with her? Ought she not to have spoken? She dared not ask him, but she touched his hand with her lips, and wet it with her tears before she rose. He took no notice, but said again: "We'll go home to your grandmother;" and no word was spoken till they reached the house, and then Katie slipped away out of sight, lest her grandmother should see her tears.

But as the days went on she knew that he was not angry. He was very grave and silent, and grannie was never quite at rest when he was long out of sight. But summer wore on, and nothing happened to make one day different from another till haying-time came.

CHAPTER TWENTY.

A DEMONSTRATION.

Mr Fleming's failing strength, and the high rate of wages paid for farm labour, had for several years made it necessary for him to depart from what seemed to him the best mode of farming, in order to save both strength and wages. So there was a larger part of the place in hay and pasture-land than there had been at first, a larger proportion than there ought to be for really good farming on such land as his, he was willing to acknowledge. Haymaking was, therefore, the most important part of summer work at Ythan.

There was much to be done, both in the house and in the fields. Several men were required to help for a month or more, and if they were not of the right stamp, both as to character and capabilities, the oversight of them became a trouble to the grandfather, and that, of course, troubled them all. No choice could be exercised in the matter. They were usually men who came along from the French country, either before or after their own narrow fields were cut, in order to make a little money by helping their English-speaking neighbours, and those who hired them must take their chance.

As a general thing the men were good workers, and did well when their employers worked with them. But they were for the most part eye-servants, who took things easy when it might be done, and with eye-service Mr Fleming had less patience than with most things.

But the "good luck" that had followed Davie and his doings on the farm all the summer, followed him still. One night there came to Ythan a stranger, who introduced himself as Ira Hemmenway, an American, sole agent in Canada for the celebrated Eureka mowing-machine, and he "claimed the privilege" of introducing this wonderful invention to the notice of the discriminating and intelligent farmers of Gershom. He asked nothing better for his own share of profit than a chance to show what he could do with it on some of the smooth fields of Ythan.

If he had been aware of Mr Fleming's distaste for all things untried, or "new-fangled," it is likely he would have carried his request elsewhere. But, greatly to Davie's surprise, his grandfather listened to the proposition of Mr Hemmenway with no special signs of disfavour, and he could only hope that the wonderful eloquence of their Yankee friend might not hinder rather than help his cause.

"With a fair start in the morning we calculate, with a middlin' span of horses, to get over by noon as much ground as six men would get over, if they worked from sunrise to sundown, if they didn't have to stop to eat or drink or take a resting-spell. We cut clean and even. There'll be a little clipping, maybe, round the stumps and stone piles, but you don't seem to have many of them. You just see me go once round your big field there with my team, and you'll never want to touch a scythe again. Only give me the chance. The first day sha'n't cost you nothing but my victuals and good feed of oats for my team. Now come, what do you say?"

Mr Fleming listened with patience and with some amus.e.m.e.nt, Davie thought.

"That is cheap enough surely," said he.

"And nothing risked," continued Mr Hemmenway. "It'll be good for you and good for me, and it doesn't often happen that both sides get the best of the bargain. Say yes, and I'll be along by sunrise, and if I don't make this young man here open his eyes first time round, I shall be some surprised."

The only difficulty seemed lest there might be too much gra.s.s cut to be properly cared for, since they had not as yet engaged help.