The Betrayal of Maggie Blair - By Elizabeth Laird Page 0,63
to be christened?"
Aunt Blair, unprepared for this assault, lifted Andrew up to her shoulder and began to pat his back.
"Because, Mr. Irving," said Uncle Blair, who had come into the house behind the minister, making him jump at the sound of his voice, "my wife is still not yet recovered from the birth, and the walk to Kilmacolm is too far for her."
"You have a horse, man!" said Mr. Irving. "Take her on your horse!"
Uncle Blair didn't deign to answer but moved to the fireplace and stood in front of it, his arms crossed. Ritchie had appeared too. He took up his place in front of his mother, as if he was protecting her.
There was tense silence.
"You are in breach of the law, Mr. Blair!" Mr. Irving burst out. "You have not attended the kirk for many weeks past, as you are duty bound to do."
"My duty, sir, is to the Lord my God, and him only do I serve," Uncle Blair said magnificently. He was the second member of my family whom I had witnessed seeing off a minister, and I must admit he was more effective than Granny had been.
Mr. Irving paused, but then with a wave of his arm he swept my uncle's words aside.
"You consort with traitors!" Color was rising in his pale cheeks. "You and the other renegades in this benighted parish. You have been seen out on the moss! Taking part in unlawful worship! With the criminal Alexander!"
"Mr. Alexander isn't a criminal!" Ritchie said hotly. "He's our real minister. You're just a..."
Uncle Blair silenced him with a look while Mr. Irving wagged a furious finger at him.
"You are leading your own children, your son, into the ways of wickedness! I'm warning you, Hugh Blair, that if you do not bring this child to be christened according to the rites laid down by our lawful bishops..."
It was too much for Uncle Blair.
"Bishops?" he thundered. "Rascals set over us by a treacherous king! How dare you, Mr. Irving? How dare you threaten me with your bishops! I am a Presbyterian, do you hear? I'll have nothing to do with bishops!"
"Hugh, please, Hugh, don't!" Aunt Blair's voice was no more than a bleat, but it pulled my uncle up short. Mr. Irving smiled with horrid satisfaction.
"Ha! Aha! You have spoken treason, Hugh Blair. You leave me with no choice. No choice! If this child is not in the kirk next Sabbath day, I myself shall ride to Paisley and report you to the captain of the king's troops. The fine will make you change your mind. I assure you, you are not going to like the fine. One whole year's income from a farm such as this. I would think. We'll see then what you have to say. We'll hear you talk so rudely then about our gracious King Charles and his chosen bishops."
***
Grizel and I heard voices from my uncle and aunt's bed until late that night. She was pleading with him, I could tell. He was urging her to be defiant. It was hard to know the next morning which of them had won the argument. Uncle Blair went out to his work on the farm with his normal calm demeanor, but Aunt Blair sang the morning psalm with more than her usual warmth. "Thy loving kindness to show forth, When shines the morning light..." she caroled, while Grizel and I exchanged puzzled looks.
Saturday evening brought a positive frenzy of clothes brushing and linen smoothing.
"So we are going to the kirk tomorrow morning?" I asked Ritchie, who seemed to spend all his time out on the farm with the men and was making a rare appearance in the kitchen. He was usually shy with me, blushing when our eyes met, but this time he nodded eagerly and his smile was mischievous.
"Yes. So is everyone in the parish. You'll see how it will be."
He wouldn't say more but relapsed into his usual bashful silence.
It was a long walk into Kilmacolm, but I didn't mind. I liked seeing new views and new faces. The morning was cold, with ice crackling on the puddles and frost riming every blade of grass. Many families were streaming into the village from the small farms all around. I noticed how few men there were, and how many women, each of whom seemed to have a baby in her arms. Older children staggered along with their toddler brothers and sisters in their arms.