Scotland/Scots > Reminiscences of a Highland parish

mary Campbell’s marriage.
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have been able to say that she was engaged to
Donald; but that was not the case. Would
Donald ask her? She loved him too well to be¬
tray her feelings so as to prompt the delicate ques¬
tion, yet she wondered why he did not come to
her relief at such a crisis. Did he know it ? Did
he suspect it ?
Donald, poor lad, was kept in ignorance of all
these diplomatic negotiations; and when at last
a fellow-servant expressed his suspicions, he fell
at once into despair, gave up the game as lost,
lingered among the hills as long as possible, hardly
spoke when he returned home at night, seemed to
keep aloof from Mary, and one evening talked to
her so crossly in his utter misery, that next morn¬
ing, when Duncan Stewart arrived at the manse,
Peggy had so arranged matters that Mary before
the evening was understood to have accepted the
hand of the rich farmer.
The news was kept secret. Peggy would not
speak; Mary could not. Duncan was discreetly
silent, and took his departure to arrange the
marriage, the day for which was fixed before he
left. The minister’s wife and the minister con-