Chapter 15 - Page 2

is so long, long
ago."

"How long?"

"I don't know. We have lived here four years, but we were looking for
him before that. It was not in this part of Scotland we looked for him.
We gave up looking for him before we came here."

"What made the Painted Lady take a house here, then?"

"I think it was because the Den is so like the place she used to meet
him in long ago."

"What was his name?"

"I don't know."

"Does the Painted Lady no tell you about yoursel'?"

"No, she is angry if I ask."

"Her name is Mary, I've heard?"

"Mary Gray is her name, but--but I don't think it is her real name."

"How, does she no use her real name?"

"Because she wants her own mamma to think she is dead."

"What makes her want that?"

"I am not sure, but I think it is because there is me. I think it was
naughty of me to be born. Can you help being born?"

Tommy would have liked to tell her about Reddy, but forbore, because he
still believed that he had acted criminally in that affair, and so for
the time being the inquisition ended. But though he had already
discovered all that Grizel knew about her mother and nearly all that
curious Thrums ever ferreted out, he returned to the subject at the next
meeting in the Den.

"Where does the Painted Lady get her money?"

"Oh," said Grizel, "that is easy. She just goes into that house called
the bank, and asks for some, and they give her as much as she likes."

"Ay, I've heard that, but--"

The remainder of the question was never uttered. Instead,

"Hod ahint a tree!" cried Tommy, hastily, and he got behind one himself;
but he was too late; Elspeth was upon them; she had caught them together
at last.

Tommy showed great cunning. "Pretend you have eggs in your hand," he
whispered to Grizel, and then, in a loud voice, he said: "Think shame of
yoursel', lassie, for harrying birds' nests. It's a good thing I saw
you, and brought you here to force you to put them back. Is that you,
Elspeth? I catched this limmer wi' eggs in her hands (and the poor birds
sic bonny singers, too!), and so I was forcing her to--"

But it would not do. Grizel was ablaze with indignation. "You are a
horrid story-teller," she said, "and if I had known you were ashamed of
being seen with me, I should never have spoken to you. Take him," she
cried, giving Tommy a push toward Elspeth, "I don't want the mean little
story-teller."

"He's not mean!"