22
way crying till her heart was like to break.
She had no supper for the old famishing pair that night, they had tasted nothing from the time that she left them in the morning; and as she had accounted herself sure of receiving something from Mrs Forret that night, she had not asked her day's wage from the grieve, glad to let a day run up now and then when able to procure a meal in any other honest way. She had nothing to give them that night, what could she do? She was obliged, with a sore heart to kiss them and tell them so; and then, as was her custom, she said a prayer over their couch, and laid herself down to sleep, drowned in tears.
She had never so much as mentioned M Forret's name either to her grandmother or grand-aunt that night, or by the least insinuation given them to understand that he had either used her ill or well; but no sooner were they composed to rest, and all the cottage quiet, than old Douglas began abusing him with great vehemence and obstreperousness, and Tibby, to her astonishment, heard some of his deeds spoken of with great familiarity, which she was sure never had been whispered to the ears of flesh; and many more of the same stamps which Tibby had never