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"There, now, lad," said a woman's voice; an old woman "You are not to blame"

"But I should not have! She is but a lass! Oh, that God would spare her!" the man's voice was choked with tears

"There now, Rob, there now," said the woman "We must pray that the will of God be done"

I could not co nor of what or whom they spoke I did not open my eyes, and the sounds faded away at last

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I heard people speaking all around uish themselves

"I must take her home" Robbie

"Have your senses left you? She cannot travel!" Was that Eleanor?

"You cannot travel now The road is not safe" Hamish

"Is it any better for her to die here than at the hands of the outlaws?" Robbie said

"Either way I must face her father, and her brothers! Let her die at home, where she wishes to be!"

"Robbie, you cannot take her anywhere in her present state She will surely perish on the road, even if you avoid the outlaws," said Hamish

Then faintly I heard Robbie say, "She shall not die She shall not I will visit the Creek woain

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There was freshness in my nostrils A faint breeze wafted aboutof water Thunder ruhtened with gooseflesh

I drew breath into me deeply, and let it out slowly I opened htly in the cool air I breathed again The essence of the rain see into me, and I tasted a sweetness in my mouth I licked my lips, and there was ain, and remembered Robbie's first kisses, the sweet, hot kisses we had exchanged beneath theand Gillean; then ht and I cast the memory away from me Why had I awakened? I wanted to remain in the darkness,

I waited for the darkness to taketime I knew that it would not I was to face my punish, and when I turnedin a chair beside the bed, and then I wondered if I was indeed awake It was an old woray hair uncoe adornments worn about her neck, moccasins upon her feet I wanted to call out, but I was afraid, for she looked so very odd As I stared, she came awake