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"Yes?" I said, wiping my face

He sed, and lowered his head; then looked up at ain When he spoke he seereat effort "When you were so ill, when the bairn-I was so afraid-I knew that I had caused it, all of it, and your mother-and that if you died, I would condemn myself for it forever I swore that, if God would only let you live, I would take you hoain"

"But-you did not want to bringas I could, to be sure that you ell, and that I er," he said, and his own eyes welled with tears "Every day that you re so much to hold you, to comfort you, to-to make you mine-yet, I could not bear to be separated from you!"

I stared at him "You seemed to bear our separation quite well," I said "Two letters I've had fro "When I went to the back country after the Harvest ball I did not intend to stay away for so long! But the trouble grew so bad, I felt that I ht, and ?" I said "Was it only the la else? What excuse do you have, Robbie, for neglecting ? Cathy has wept for ain, seeain He looked up at me "We have built a house for us," he said

I stared at him in confusion "Who has built a house?" I said "And for who out at last "You reh, and Hamish said that ould cut trees for a house for us, that we ht live in the ree, but Jessie, Jessie, please listen to me-I have built you a house, a lovely little house, it will be finished in the fall-and I must ask you-"

I opened my mouth