A minute later, Jean looked up to see a bent, wizened old hag standing in the doorway, bobbing respectfully.
"Come in close to the fire. You must be cold," suggested the girl kindly, noting the pinched brown features. "Then I will talk to you."
A leer of thanks and gratitude spread over the ugly, wrinkled face, and the creature acted on the suggestion.
"Can't you wait to see my father until later? asked Jean.
"No, I go with my son to the hunting-grounds this afternoon," the woman answered.
"Well, if you will tell your message to me, I will see that he gets it."
The squaw made no reply, but searched Jean's face with her bright little eyes. Then, she said suddenly:
"So, you're the one he is in love with?" The girl, taken aback, bristled at the words and tone.
"Captain McTavish. Ha, you start and blush! Then, there are two sides of the matter. It's a pity! It's a pity!"
Jean, now thoroughly angered, both by the woman's temerity and her own involuntary coloring at the mention of Donald McTavish's name, turned on her visitor sharply.
"You will kindly keep to the matter that brought you here, Maria," she said, "and leave both myself and Captain McTavish out of it."
"I can leave you out of it, but not McTavish," was the stolid reply.
"Ha, ha! That's it. What do I mean? Sometimes I hardly know myself, but at others it conies back to me clearly enough. But I warn you, pretty miss," and the squaw suddenly pointed a shaking finger at the girl. "Never marry him, this McTavish. Never marry him!
"I haven't the slightest intention of doing so," returned the girl coldly; "but I would like to know why you say what you do, and why you wanted to see my father and tell him all this nonsense."
"Nonsense, you say!" The old woman chuckled. "No, it ain't nonsense. Your father knows something already, but probably he won't tell you; such things aren't for the ears of young girls, particularly when they blush and grow angry at the mention of a man. But he'll marry you if he can, stain or no stain. That's a man's way."
Jean Fitzpatrick's hands wandered to her throat as though to ease her dress. Her eyes were wide with wonder and her fear of something half-hinted, and the color had gone out of her face. Here they were again, these rumors that had disturbed her mind from time to time. But, now, they were almost definite--and they were not pleasant!