"Mistress Gowrie, he's not better, as ye think; he says he's dyin', and
wants to see granny," Elsie said, with quivering lips, as she reached
them.
"Dying, child, nonsense! what do you mean?" said the farmer's wife,
looking at Elsie to see if she was not dreaming. But Elsie looked
terribly wide-awake and sorrow-stricken, and Mistress Gowrie went off in
search of her husband.
Then Granny Baxter began to perceive that there was something wrong, and
presently Elsie succeeded in making her understand, and began to guide
her slow steps to where her grandson still lay. Oh, how slow they were,
Elsie thought, as she glanced along the straight field path still to be
crossed before they reached the knolls, and thought of what might be
going on there. But had not Geordie wanted to see his grandmother, and
surely she might endure for him who had done so much for her? So the
little girl kept close by the old woman's side, who leant her wrinkled
hand on Elsie's shoulder, while, with the help of her staff in the
other, she hobbled along, with her eyes fixed upon the ground, groaning
and muttering about this terrible blow that seemed likely to fall upon
her.
"Granny, granny, I've been wearyin' for you," said Geordie, holding out
both his hands, when at last Elsie's patience had guided the old woman
to the spot. "Oh, but I'm no able to make her hear. Nae words o' mine
can travel to her ear, and I had much to say to her," Geordie cried,
with a suppressed sob, as some terrible internal pain seemed to seize
him.
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