"
Annie did not quite understand him.
"I maun gang back to Alec," she said. "Ye'll come ower the morn, Mr
Cupples, and hear a' aboot him?"
"I will do that, my bairn. Hoo do they ca' ye???-for I forget names
dreidfu'?"
"Annie Anderson."
"Ay, ay; Annie Anderson???-I hae surely heard that name afore.???-Weel, I
winna forget _you_, whether I forget yer name or no."
"But hae ye a bed?" said the thoughtful girl, to whom the comfort of
every one who came near her was an instinctive anxiety.
"Ow, ay. I hae a bed at the hoose o' a sma', jabberin', bitter-barkit
crater they ca' King Robert the Bruce."
Annie knew that he must be occupying her room; and was on the point of
expressing a hope that he "wadna be disturbit wi' the rottans," when
she saw that it would lead to new explanations and delays.
"Good night, Mr Cupples," she said, holding out her hand.
Mr Cupples took it kindly, saying:
"Are ye a niece, or a gran'-dochter o' the hoose, or a hired servan',
or what are ye????-for ye're a wice-spoken lass and a bonnie."
"I'm a servan' o' the hoose," said Annie. Then after a moment's
hesitation, she added, "but no a hired ane."
"Ye're worth hirin' onyhoo, hinnie (honey); and they're weel aff that
has ye i' the hoose in ony capawcity.
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