And at midnicht she gaed butt the hoose,
Aye steekin' door and door.
Whan the reid cock crew, she cam' benn the hoose,
Aye wanner than afore--
Wanner her face, and sweeter her smile;
Till the seventh All Souls' eve.
Her mother she heard the shoeless feet,
Said "she's comin', I believe."
But she camna benn, and her mother lay;
For fear she cudna stan'.
But up she rase and benn she gaed,
Whan the gowden cock had crawn.
And Janet sat upo' the chair,
White as the day did daw;
Her smile was a sunlight left on the sea,
Whan the sun has gane awa'.
Alec had never till now heard her sing really. Wild music and eerie
ballad together filled and absorbed him. He was still gazing at her
lovely head, when the last wailing sounds of the accompaniment ceased,
and her face turned round, white as Janet's. She gave one glance of
unutterable feeling up into Beauchamp's face, and hiding her own in her
handkerchief, sobbed out, "You would make me sing it!" and left the
room.
Alec's heart swelled with indignant sympathy. But what could he do? The
room became insupportable the moment she had quitted it, and he made
his way to the door.
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